Most U.S. utility companies aren't supportive of policy measures that would combat climate change
This post was originally published on this site
There is yet more evidence showing that major U.S. utilities are doing their damnedest to resist climate change mitigation. A recent report from nonpartisan climate crisis think tank InfluenceMap reveals that a majority of utility companies are not positively engaging with climate policy. Instead of using their considerable influence to help hasten a greener future and move closer to net-zero goals, many energy companies have at least mixed records, if not outright hostility toward that transition. InfluenceMap’s findings range from an analysis of social media posts and state hearing testimonies to lobbying and legal action.
Just four out of 25 companies analyzed consistently offered positive engagement: Edison International in California, Exelon in Illinois, PSEG in New Jersey, and PG&E in California. ProPublica notes that Edison International’s lobbying endeavors have included supporting affordable electric vehicles, allocations within the Infrastructure Jobs and Investment Act for wildfire mitigation, and broadening the definition of renewable energy to include hydropower. PG&E has lobbied for similar causes, though not without scrutiny. The utility upped its lobbying spending while declaring bankruptcy and at a time when the worst fire in California history was wreaking havoc on at least five counties. That blaze, the Dixie Fire, was caused by a tree falling onto PG&E’s own electrical distribution lines.
If looking at the so-called better utility companies that consistently advocate for climate change mitigation gives you pause, just wait until you see what the companies at the bottom of the list have to offer. Rounding out the bottom four are WEC Energy Group in Wisconsin, Ameren Corporation in Missouri, Southern Company in Georgia, and CenterPoint Energy in Texas. All rank extremely low when it comes to energy transition and zero-carbon technologies as well as GHG emission regulation. You may recognize CenterPoint at the bottom of the list as one of a slew of utilities sued in the wake of Winter Storm Uri, which killed dozens in Texas. CenterPoint has also faced lawsuits over a lethal gas explosion and worker injuries, among other suits. The company has also given an inordinate amount to fossil fuel-loving Republicans like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, lobbied in favor of legislation that keeps oil and gas flowing, and confusingly vowed to reach net-zero by 2035 yet hitched much of its hopes on natural gas production.
Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility Climate and Environmental Justice Director Christina Herman urged utilities to change their ways, especially in the face of shareholder pressure. “With a quarter of U.S. emissions stemming from the power sector, and its potential for decarbonizing the economy, effective climate policies must be enacted to promote a rapid shift away from fossil fuels for power generation,” Herman said in a statement. “Investors are increasingly concerned about the impacts of climate disruption on their portfolios, on the health of the economy and on society broadly… This report makes it clear that most [utilities] are not on the right trajectory, and that needs to change.”