Working to Protect Consumers.

Power for Tomorrow expert Ed Hirs — a renowned energy economist and lecturer at the University of Houston — published a compelling column that explores the serious risks of “industrial only” electricity deregulation in Louisiana. Hirs makes the case that this policy shift could have wide-reaching consequences for every Louisianan, not just large industrial users.

Brad Viator promotes sensible utility regulation with a column in Utility Dive, "Surging data center power demand risks subtracting clean energy from the grid." 

Ed Hirs, energy economist, fellow at the University of Houston and Power for Tomorrow expert, speaks to the Wall Street Journal about how companies are working to adapt as they confront record-setting temperatures, floods and windstorms

“Storms are another big problem because they are expected to increase in severity and frequency. That means utilities, grid operators and power-plant owners will have to spend a lot more on things such as strengthening electric poles, transmission towers and other infrastructure.”

Brad Viator, a state utility policy expert, said the Maryland law was spurred by third-party suppliers’ heavy-handed sales tactics. “They’re like anybody else who’s trying to get a bunch of customers to sign up for a service,” Viator said. “There are some salespeople out there that are super aggressive and are using some unscrupulous tactics to get people to sign up. And the problem has become so prevalent, in Maryland in particular, but really in a lot of the states in the Northeast.”