This young person has more courage than most of our elected leaders in terms of acting on #climatechange in order to address the #ClimateEmergency. While I'm so thankful to see this, it fills me with shame and embarrassment that we have so utterly failed future generations.

Just your reminder that West Virginia ratepayers have paid FirstEnergy for more than just power. (Or, more than just electric power, I should say. Surely they've paid for other kinds: power-brokering, access to power, political power...that kind of thing.)

The 2014 Elk River chemical leak was a watershed moment for West Virginia environmental advocacy, proving to West Virginians they'd have to fight hard for basic environmental health protections: wvgazettemail.com/news/special_r…

A legislator from Virginia has proposed a bill to bar the state's investor-owned electric utilities from charging customers for advertising, trade association dues, lobbying and other political costs. More from Shelby Green energyandpolicy.org/virginia-bill-…

Note to the West Virginia Public Service Commission. 28 states now have a lower average residential electricity rate than West Virginia.

A new generation of reformers are taking helms at PUCs. They are "leading, not just presiding," in Hempling-speak. They are not following the rate case rubber stamp playbook. In return, the monopoly utilities are trying to get every last one of them shit-canned.

Here’s a link to the author’s thread on this same topic: x.com/_jesse_andrews…

The Legislature hates freedom.

Another must-read story from Mountain State Spotlight's Sarah Elbeshbishi Bills aimed at fixing West Virginia’s unplugged wells gather dust while lawmakers consider exempting operators from some cleanup rules mountainstatespotlight.org/2024/02/07/unp…

While I'm sad to hear about Mojo Nixon's death, it sounds like he went out in true rabble-rousing fashion, much like his Pleasure Barons counterpart, Country Dick Montana. These "end of an era" moments make me blue.

Oh- I just finished this today; I really loved it! Thanks and happy birthday, Isaac Fitzgerald!

New from me: Gov. Mike DeWine's former chief of staff, Laurel Dawson, testified to the grand jury in the state's criminal case against a top DeWine appointee and two FirstEnergy executives. First known instance of a DeWine official as a criminal witness cleveland.com/open/2024/02/d…

While many in the secular world are focused on Valetine's day today, today is also Ash Wednesday - the first day of Lent. If you're looking for things to give up, may I recommend the following items to abstain from: - Non-scenario based transmission planning - Zero accreditation

My colleague Matt Kasper writes about a new Maryland bill that would prevent utilities from charging customers for political spending, legislation that comes on the heals of FirstEnergy mischarging Maryland customers for bribes + lobbying in Ohio marylandmatters.org/2024/02/15/com…

My conversation today with the state economic development chief reveals something of a split screen. We have an urgent problem. One of the state’s largest employers is shutting down its operations in April, putting 900 people out of a job.

❗Today, Sierra Club, West Virginia Rivers, and West Virginia Highlands Conservancy secured a historic settlement to restore West Virginia streams harmed by coal mining pollution. Read our statement on this important win for clean water and healthy communities ⬇️ sierraclub.org/press-releases…

Getting ready to enjoy my first peanut butter and pickle sammy. Dwight Garner, do you recommend bread and butter, or dill?

Dear Jay Farrar, who *is* the queen of Charleston, West Virginia?

Utility bills are a monthly transfer of wealth from the poorest to some of the richest people in the world. Mighty rich of them to oppose saving money with competition. #energytwitter