CenterPoint Energy customers in Minnesota can order free and reduced-cost supplies like weatherstripping, window insulation kits, and more to save energy and reduce utility bills. Available to both renters and homeowners. Here's where to get them: centerpointenergymnshop.com/shop-all/

Blue Cross Blue Shield and Consumers Energy are funding opposition to a Michigan ballot drive aimed at curbing corporate political spending, Bridge Michigan reports: planetdetroit.org/2025/11/blue...

Nearly 6 million US households have utility debt “so severe” that it will soon be reported to collection agencies. apnews.com/article/trum...

The federal government might be open, but it's not necessarily in business yet. Delays and uncertainty for those most in need, including those whose homes have no heat, highlight our mixed-up priorities.

A New Mexico gas utility is the latest to face a private equity takeover bid, this time by a firm whose failure to properly maintain an earlier water utility acquisition led to sludge build-up and bloodworms on the system energyandpolicy.org/new-mexico-g...

A new complaint filed alleges Michigan Energy First, a dark money group tied to DTE Energy (👀), violated the Michigan Campaign Finance Act when it funneled $100,000 in an effort to roll back pandemic emergency rules in 2020. michiganadvance.com/2025/11/11/c...

Asset management and private equity giants like BlackRock and Blackstone buying up our utilities to - among other things - cash in on the data center boom. What could go wrong? My latest, for @truthout.org.

I wish it were better understood that this is an act of mass murder akin to firing into a large crowd. Impossible to say specifically who will die as a result of this action, but certainty that it will be many.

“We’ve heard from a number of utilities who are willing to be patient and help support their households getting on those payment plans and avoid disconnecting them for lack of payment right now. But that hasn’t been universal." The cruelty! kstp.com/money-matter...

A Michigan nonprofit with ties to one of the state’s largest energy companies is accused of participating in a dark money scheme to funnel money into an effort to overturn the governor’s COVID-19 emergency powers. Story from @kdavidsonjrn.bsky.social

“The fact that this very basic fundamental human right of being able to feed yourself adequately is being used as a cudgel by this administration in order to play a political game makes me so angry." — @melbuer.bsky.social

Rising energy bills are rewiring American politics. Tuesday's election results suggest energy costs may be moving the political needle in ways that other issues, like climate change, have not. grist.org/energy/risin... #Elections #Bills #Energy #Politics

There's a campaign underway in Michigan to rein in runaway political spending by monopoly utilities and certain other corporations. Half the funds raised so far to oppose the measure trace back to Consumers Energy. energyandpolicy.org/consumers-en...

It is once again a great day to send some money to Community Aid Network MN to help them get free groceries and diapers to as many people as possible. The need is huge. Every dollar helps. www.canmn.org/donate

A new Michigan ballot initiative aims to keep monopoly utility money out of politics. You'll be shocked to hear who coughed up half the cash raised so far to fight... Find out here: energyandpolicy.org/consumers-en...

There's a campaign underway in Michigan to rein in runaway political spending by monopoly utilities and certain other corporations. Half the funds raised so far to oppose the measure trace back to Consumers Energy. energyandpolicy.org/consumers-en...

Ducks fly together!

Amid widespread uncertainty over what data centers will mean for regular utility customers and their communities, DTE Energy wants Michigan regulators to bypass public hearings and fast-track approval for one www.detroitnews.com/story/busine...

I’ve seen enough: @olsenforparks.bsky.social gets the biggest possible hell yeah from me

City councilors, mayors and other elected officials have been aware for months, even years, of various massive AI data center proposals, while sharing little to no information publicly until the projects are set in motion — often bound by secrecy agreements. minnesotareformer.com/2025/10/29/w...

Consumers Energy has dumped $15,000 into a campaign opposing a Michigan ballot initiative that would limit utility political giving, much of which has gone toward paying legal fees to the same attorney who helps run Consumers' dark money nonprofit www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

DTE Energy and Consumers Energy are big enough donors to a "charity" that funds Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's overseas travel that they both have board seats. Whitmer, meanwhile, appoints the regulators that are supposed to oversee those same utilities. www.detroitnews.com/story/busine...

Community Aid Network MN provides free groceries and diapers to hundreds of families in Minneapolis each week and is a great place to donate: www.canmn.org/donate If you'd rather give your time, you can volunteer to help with distribution: calendly.com/communityaid...

Hey twin cities friends! There’s a new website for the Mn Rapid Response network, now called Monarca. It has the hotline to call if you see 🧊 activity as well as Know Your Rights information and lists upcoming community trainings. A great resource. Please share widely! monarcamn.org

Love to see this from Mpls City Council Member @katiecashman.bsky.social: "Xcel and CenterPoint must step up and offer inclusive energy upgrades to all residents, and we at the city need to ... use our newly negotiated leverage to hold them to their commitments." www.startribune.com/ward-7-city-...

Community Aid Network MN provides free groceries and diapers to hundreds of families in Minneapolis each week and is a great place to donate: www.canmn.org/donate If you'd rather give your time, you can volunteer to help with distribution: calendly.com/communityaid...

North Dakota, Montana and three southern states are trying to block a $22b plan for power lines across the Midwest that will reshape the grid as coal plants retire and demand surges. Our regulators call it an 'economic attack.' www.startribune.com/attempt-by-n...

DTE Energy, a monopoly utility, appears to habitually deny property damage claims and requires customers to sign non-disclosure agreements in cases where it does offer modest payouts www.mlive.com/news/2025/10...

FINALLY. One of the most trusted energy assistance organizations in the country issued a call for a total ban on utility shutoffs TODAY. It's about time. neada.org/wp-content/u...

Data centers beget bad government, over and over again www.startribune.com/hermantown-d...

frog and chewbacca dance to brass solidarity band, the band formed by community members around george floyd square, at no kings minneapolis

That's right

Heating season is coming! If you're in the Twin Cities I super recommend getting a Home Energy Squad visit to learn what energy efficiency improvements you can make to keep your utility costs down and access free support to get them done www.mncee.org/home-energy-...

Local officials across the country are signing NDAs that shield tech companies from scrutiny over proposed data centers, preventing the public from getting information and kneecapping opposition www.startribune.com/st-louis-cou...

“That’s what it takes, citizen action … for a larger public good,” Kari said, adding that she believes local action is especially important “in the absence of federal leadership — or corporate leadership, for that matter.” www.startribune.com/how-one-minn...

On one hand, nationally renowned media law expert Jane Kirtley says the Frey administration's apparent efforts to circumvent open records law are astounding. On the other hand, the city attorney appointed by Frey says it's all fine. www.startribune.com/mayor-jacob-...

Western Alaska was hit hard by the recent storms. Houses floated away in Kipnuk, houses flipped over, people lost everything from the flooding that came with the storms. Please donate if you can. This group has a long history of supporting AK communities. alaskacf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/c...

Gas utility bills are rising even though natural gas prices are down. That's because a much larger share of your gas bill now goes to infrastructure instead of fuel. n.pr/4nOJoKs

Minnesota allowed the sale of one of its electric utilities to a consortium led by BlackRock. Our James Baratta was there to witness the proceeding, and he explains how it's the beginning of a private equity roll-up to cash in on the AI data center boom. prospect.org/environment/...

Huge endorsement by my garden for @ehbforbet.bsky.social

Opponents of this private equity takeover include consumer advocates like the Attorney General, state lawmakers, utility customers, environmental groups, large power users, and a judge who reviewed the terms of the transaction. And yet!

so BlackRock is buying Minnesota Power (utility) & likely AES (utility) AND Aligned Data Centers & that's just this week cool cool

In approving this deal, Minnesota regulators made a very big bet that private equity ownership of a monopoly electric utility will yield vastly different results from private equity ownership in basically every other sector

The utility serving Indianapolis could be next to be swept up in BlackRock's spending spree on utilities, a prospect that has local ratepayer advocates "extremely concerned" www.ibj.com/articles/as-...

BlackRock is leading a consortium buying Minnesota Power in a private equity foray into utilities. The decision will be made tomorrow. Meanwhile, Gov. Walz's Department of Commerce flipped to supporting the deal, & emails show numerous contacts with the acquisition’s supporters. From James Baratta:

A group of state lawmakers is urging the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to deny BlackRock's controversial bid to take over Minnesota Power, saying among other things that "the risks and harms would outweigh the minimal, short-term benefits" efiling.web.commerce.state.mn.us/documents/%7...

The same BlackRock subsidiary that’s trying to buy Minnesota Power over the objections of consumer advocates is also trying to buy AES, which has electric utilities in Indiana and Ohio www.reuters.com/markets/deal...

New from @apnews.com: A fight has erupted in northern MN over the proposed private equity buyout of Duluth-based utility Minnesota Power. If approved, the sale could determine how private equity firms expand their utility holdings amid a rush to cash in on data centers. apnews.com/article/big-...

Private equity firms are looking to buy electric utilities for a simple reason: there’s money to be made, and potentially quite a lot of it, on the backs of captive utility customers apnews.com/article/big-...

Private equity firms are looking to buy electric utilities for a simple reason: there’s money to be made, and potentially quite a lot of it, on the backs of captive utility customers apnews.com/article/big-...