Friday Feature: NC PIRG

With so many non-profits working in so many different policy areas, it's hard sometimes to know who you can count on to do the hard work. Two weeks ago I wrote about the Budget and Tax Center at NC Justice. Today I invite you to visit the NC Public Interest Research Group, headed by Rob Thompson. In particular, I'm focusing on their Utilities Watchdog Project.

Highly-paid lobbyists and attorneys for the utility providers navigate behind the scenes for special advantages. Electric utilities, for example, can force customers to finance billion dollar dirty energy plants that its shareholders consider too risky to finance. Meanwhile, natural gas providers seek new ways to raise rates without improving their service — for example, by charging residents who use less natural gas more per-therm than other residents.

Lastly, telecommunication companies are lobbying to prevent towns from providing low-cost internet access to communities where private companies refuse to serve.

To defend the public’s interest, NCPIRG's Utilities Watchdog Project organizes media coverage, grassroots campaigns, and legislative support for efficient, fair, and smart public utility policies. We participate in meetings with utility providers and the Utilities Commissioners, enlist the help of powerful stakeholders like the Attorney General and Public Staff, and collaborate with allies in consumer rights and environmental groups.

I've met with Rob a couple of times and it's clear he's a man with a mission. And a daunting mission it is. Pushing back against the corporatists and their lobbyists in the NC legislature is a never-ending and thankless job. It's one step ahead, two steps back a lot of the time, as legislators listen more and more to special interests instead of the citizens they represent.

There are many great non-profits in North Carolina that are tackling different aspects of environmental and energy issues. NC PIRG is among the most tightly focused on keeping Big Energy from running roughshod over We the People. If you have a chance, visit their website, and let Rob and his team know you appreciate what they're doing.