‘Utility Playbook’ Spotlights Tactics Used by Utilities to Take Advantage of Ratepayers

April 7, 2021 – LANSING, Mich. – The Conservative Energy Network (CEN), a coalition of 21 state-based conservative clean energy organizations, today announced the launch of a new website: www.utilityplaybook.com. The website identifies specific “plays” that utilities across the country use to influence policymakers, block potential competition, and maintain their monopoly power, often to the detriment of ratepayers.

The website features a “Hall of Shame” chronicling underhanded utility behaviors that have come to light—and caused huge scandals—in recent years. The recent revelations of scandal and bribery in Ohio and Illinois served as the impetus for CEN to take action and put together the Utility Playbook website to better educate both policymakers and ratepayers.

Not to be missed is the “Solutions” page, which outlines policy recommendations that encourage competition, customer choice, transparency, and free markets. Links to news articles and educational resources across the site provide a wealth of information regarding corrupt utility tactics and the systems and structures that enable them.

“New technologies have completely changed how we generate and consume electricity,” said Mark Pischea, president and CEO of CEN. “The outdated monopoly utility structure is at best a hindrance and at worst an invitation to abuse power. Either way, it’s the ratepayers who pay the price.”

CEN polling has consistently found that less than 20% of voters across the country, and of all political persuasions, support their current utility system. An overwhelming majority of voters want to see a utility market that offers more clean energy and increased choice and competition.

Visitors to the website are encouraged to share their stories of utility transgressions. By collecting such narratives, CEN hopes to hold utilities accountable and embolden policymakers to rethink the monopoly systems that are harming electricity consumers.