How the electricity utilities “use a little bit of political jiu-jitsu” to steal the sun

US electrical utilities are feeling pressure from distributed solar power and are proving that they will go to all ends to protect their monopoly positions. In Florida, the utilities are spending tens of millions of dollars to manipulate the electorate into voting for an amendment that limits solar power’s growth. In the last five years alone, the largest 25 utilities have spent more than $400 million on lobbying federal and state elections. This effort to control the political machine is worth trillions annually.

And now that we know 92% of people breathe unsafe air and more than 6 million a year die of it – that these utilities are slowing the transition to cleaner forms of energy means they are knowinglykilling people.

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First off, let us be very clear that in the United States the electricity industry has made great strides. Total CO2 emissions by the industry have fallen by 25% since 2008, while the total amount of electricity produced has stayed flat. So much work has been done that we’ve seen transportation pass the electric power sector in terms of total CO2 emissions. As well, we can hope for much more with the Clean Power Plan’s goal to cut carbon dioxide emissions from mostly coal-fired electric power plants by 32 percent below 2005 levels before 2030 (of course, 24 states are suing to not have to comply).