Xcel and CenterPoint enabling Climate Opposition

CenterPoint CEO receives a $37 Million salary while customers pay more. The company also ranks among the nation's worst in aggressive lobbying against climate polices

• CenterPoint Boost CEO Pay to $37.8 Million, blowing past other utilities. David Lesar’s Hefty raise comes as CenterPoint Customers Face Soaring utility bills. By Karlee Weinmann   April 19^th, 2022
• Some CenterPoint customers fuming over high gas bills By Heather Sullivan   February 22, 2022
• CenterPoint shareholders rebuke CEO David Lesar’s $38 million compensation(in a highly unusual move) By Shelby Webb,  Houston Chronicle    April 23, 2022

• CenterPoint ranked as a “laggard” in climate policy engagement by utility watchdog group   April 2022 

Xcel Energy funding climate opposition in Minnesota

In the Clean Energy Partnership Board meeting and in their own media campaigns Xcel touts their 2018 pledge to go 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050 on its own terms. The company promotes itself as an industry leader on climate issues.

However, the Xcel Energy Employees PAC – the utility’s main political giving vehicle in Minnesota – has donated significantly to some of the consistent opponents of climate & clean energy legislation at our state capitol. 

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The Star Tribune has recently reported on the tensions at the State Capitol this session over climate and clean energy measures.

While the MN State Senate rejected a proposal to adopt a 100% clean energy standard by 2040, this report shows that states can reliably meet 100 percent of their electricity needs with renewable energy:

On the Road to 100 Percent Renewables  By Union of Concerned Scientists  Published Apr 19, 2022