In the News
Coming this Summer: Spiking Electricity Bills Plus Blackouts
May 11, 2022 Inside Climate News Dan Gearino Electricity prices are rising in much of the country at the same time that climate change is contributing to extreme heat and a high chance of blackouts this summer. For consumers, the result is an increase in financial strain to pay for a product that often is…
CenterPoint boosts CEO pay to $37.8 million, blowing past other utilities
April 19, 2022 Energy and Policy Institute Karlee Weinmann CenterPoint Energy paid its CEO a total of $37.8 million last year, far exceeding executive pay at peer companies while it sought massive rate hikes for customers already struggling to keep up with skyrocketing utility bills. A review of executive compensation at large U.S. utilities places David Lesar’s…
Minnesota House, Senate support storm-related relief, but far apart on other energy-funding issues
Star Tribune Mike Hughlett April 17, 2022 Legislation in both chambers would cushion the blow of huge natural gas price spikes, while the House has ambitious energy-spending plans for items such as weatherization. The Minnesota House and Senate are in rare agreement on a significant energy issue: cushioning the financial blow to Minnesota natural gas…
State Lawmakers Weigh Providing Relief To Minnesotans Grappling With High Energy Bills, Surcharges From Feb. 2021 Polar Vortex
March 29, 2022 WCCO Caroline Cummings ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – Minnesota lawmakers are mulling proposals aimed at providing relief to utility customers who are paying for surge charges incurred during a cold snap last February when a winter storm in Texas disrupted natural gas supplies. A proposal that passed out of a Senate committee Wednesday would create a…
Sending Out Resumes? MN Officials Suggest Weatherization Jobs
March 17, 2022 Public News Service Mike Moen Wind and solar often get attention for job growth in clean energy, and in Minnesota, those who specialize in home weatherization say demand for this type of work shouldn’t be overlooked. The new federal infrastructure law includes $3.5 billion for weatherization programs, which help low-income households with projects such…