The state public utility commission is poised to approve a rate of return that critics say overcharges customers by $4.4 billion per year.
James Baratta
James Baratta is a writing fellow at The American Prospect. He previously worked as a reporter at MandateWire from the Financial Times. His work has appeared in Truthout, Politico, and The Progressive. James is a graduate of Ithaca College and a life-long member of the Alpha Kappa Delta International Sociology Honor Society. He is currently based in New York City.
Posted inEnergy and the Environment
Private Equity’s Utility Spending Spree Threatens New Mexico
Two firms are vying for control over much of New Mexico’s energy infrastructure, but consumer advocates are fighting back.
Posted inEnergy and the Environment
Lightning in a Bottle
Regulatory capture is at the root of the affordability crisis in electricity. Public power could offer a way out.
Posted inEnergy and the Environment
Big Tech’s Big New York Gas Pipeline
Gov. Kathy Hochul justified a $1 billion natural gas project by appealing to affordability. But the main reason the state needs the energy is because data centers are hogging it.
Posted inEconomic Policy
New Reforms, Same Old Florida Home Insurance Market
Inflated ratings, weak oversight, and bare-bones consumer protections continue to leave homeowners exposed to the worst of Florida’s fragile, undercapitalized insurance market.
Posted inLaw and Justice
Chicagoans Grill AT&T for Facilitating ICE Terror
Organizers in Chicago are demanding the telecom giant cut ties with the Department of Homeland Security. It’s part of a larger strategy targeting corporate complicity in the federal immigration crackdown.
Posted inHousing
Remedying the Workforce Housing Crisis
Rising rents have been particularly pronounced in the workforce housing segment, squeezing tenants across the country. According to a new report, most regions nationwide experienced workforce housing rent increases of 20 percent or more from 2021 to 2025.
Posted inAmerica and the World
Democratic Senators Probe ‘Apparent Neglect’ of Detained Flotilla Activists
At Ketziot, American citizens and international flotilla volunteers alike have described rampant abuse.
Posted inEnergy and the Environment
BlackRock Just Bought a Minnesota Utility
When the PUC rendered its final decision on Friday, the Prospect was there to witness it.
Posted inEnergy and the Environment
Private Equity Power Play in Minnesota
BlackRock-owned Global Infrastructure Partners and a Canadian pension giant want to buy a Minnesota-based utility. Gov. Tim Walz’s agencies have been in on pushing the deal.