Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Pam Radtke @pradtke.bsky.social · Jun 25

Louisiana energy regulators get $15 million a year — from your power bill — to spend on energy efficiency projects in public facilities of their choosing. Who monitors the program? No one.

floodlightnews.org/80-million-f...

$80 million, few rules: Louisiana’s energy efficiency ‘slush fund’

One of the least energy efficient states allows elected commissioners to use ratepayer money for ‘patronage’ projects — with little oversight

floodlightnews.org

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Reposted by Pam Radtke

Canary Media Inc. @canarymedia.com · Apr 18

Regulators in Louisiana voted along party lines to cancel an energy-efficiency program 14 years in the making.

One official called it “a punch to the face to all Louisianians who are struggling to pay their bills.”

Reporting by @pradtke.bsky.social via @floodlightnews.org

Louisiana kills energy-efficiency program in eleventh hour

Energy regulators voted along party lines to cancel the program. One official called it “a punch to the face to all Louisianians who are struggling to pay…

ow.ly

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Reposted by Pam Radtke

Louisiana Illuminator @lailluminator.com · Apr 15

The Louisiana Public Service Commission might scrap an energy efficiency program after it spent more than $500K to put it in place – and took 14 years to come up with the program. Our @wesmuller.bsky.social & @pradtke.bsky.social w/ @floodlightnews.org report lailluminator.com/2025/04/15/l...

La. Public Service Commission might scrap new energy efficiency program • Louisiana Illuminator

The Louisiana Public Service Commission will consider terminating a statewide energy efficiency program that it spent 14 years creating.

lailluminator.com

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Reposted by Pam Radtke

Floodlight @floodlightnews.org · Apr 12

Solar advocates flooded Capitol Hill this week to save the Inflation Reduction Act. They say cutting tax credits now would stall progress, kill jobs, and raise costs. NEW in @floodlightnews.org from @pradtke.bsky.social‬:

As Congress slashes spending, will clean energy tax credits survive?

Solar boosters say repealing Inflation Reduction Act incentives could drive up electricity costs, stall manufacturing and slow climate progress.

floodlightnews.org

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Reposted by Pam Radtke

David Roberts @volts.wtf · Mar 31

Louisiana utilities are providing dirty power at higher and higher (and higher and higher) prices, and the state's industrial customers are getting sick of it. They want to opt out and procure their own (renewable) energy.

US electricity prices are surging. These companies want out.

Citing few renewable options and projected price jumps, industries in Louisiana propose their own power generation, free from monopoly utilities

floodlightnews.org

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Reposted by Pam Radtke

Joshua Basseches @joshuabasseches.bsky.social · Mar 31

Increasing electric rates are out of control. Never has there been a bigger gulf b/t utility shareholder interests & those of ratepayers (including industrial customers, which as this @pradtke.bsky.social story notes, want direct access to cheap renewables!):
floodlightnews.org/us-electrici...

US electricity prices are surging. These companies want out.

Citing few renewable options and projected price jumps, industries in Louisiana propose their own power generation, free from monopoly utilities

floodlightnews.org

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Reposted by Pam Radtke

EJ Today News @ejtodaynews.bsky.social · Mar 24

#Oil And Gas Money Shapes Research, ‘Echo Chamber’ In Higher #Education
#news #environment

@pradtke.bsky.social reports for @floodlightnews.org

@halleparker.bsky.social reports for @wwno.org & @WRKF

@piperhutch.bsky.social reports for @lailluminator.com

floodlightnews.org/fueling-know...

Fueling Knowledge: Oil and gas money shapes research, creates ‘echo chamber’ in higher education

Louisiana’s flagship university is looking to partner more closely with petrochemical industries in the state

floodlightnews.org

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Pam Radtke @pradtke.bsky.social · Mar 21

Fossil fuel Companies and higher ed seem To go hand in hand at LSU and other universities. Here’s why that might be a problem. Check out the story and podcast here:

Fueling Knowledge: Oil and gas money shapes research, creates ‘echo chamber’ in higher education

Louisiana’s flagship university is looking to partner more closely with petrochemical industries in the state

floodlightnews.org

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Reposted by Pam Radtke

Louisiana Illuminator @lailluminator.com · Mar 6

Power for massive data centers like the one proposed in NE Louisiana could come at ‘staggering’ cost to consumers, @pradtke.bsky.social reports for @floodlightnews.org lailluminator.com/2025/03/06/d...

Power for data centers could come at ‘staggering’ cost to consumers • Louisiana Illuminator

A new report from Harvard’s Electricity Law Initiative says U.S. consumers will pay billions of dollars to build new power plants to serve data centers.

lailluminator.com

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Pam Radtke @pradtke.bsky.social · Mar 6

Fantastic reading in report from @aripeskoe.bsky.social
on the potential costs of data center power for every day consumers. Read about it here floodlightnews.org/power-for-da...

Power for data centers could come at ‘staggering’ cost to consumers

New report highlights how traditional ways of setting rates don’t fit Big Tech’s massive, immediate demand for more electricity

floodlightnews.org

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Reposted by Pam Radtke

Science and Environmental Health Network (SEHN) @sehnetwork.bsky.social · Feb 28

"Carbon capture incentives are 'another subsidy for oil.'" Our ED @carolynraff.bsky.social quoted in NEW piece by @pradtke.bsky.social in the @lailluminator.com: lailluminator.com/2025/02/28/c...
Links to our report (first comment) on the false promises and health harms of #EOR.
#CSS #pipelines #45Q

Capturing carbon dioxide, sold as climate solution, rebranded as oil industry boost • Louisiana Illuminator

Billions of taxpayer dollars subsidizing capture and storage of carbon dioxide may instead go to fossil fuel companies to help boost production of oil.

lailluminator.com

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Pam Radtke @pradtke.bsky.social · Feb 18

My latest insideclimatenews.org/news/1702202...

CO2 Pipeline Company Draws $2.4m Fine for Menacing Federal Inspectors - Inside Climate News

Workers were manufacturing pipeline to replace a ruptured section of carbon dioxide line that sent 45 people to the hospital in Mississippi.

insideclimatenews.org

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Reposted by Pam Radtke

Kristi E. Swartz @bizwriterkristi.bsky.social · Feb 17

insideclimatenews.org/news/1702202...

Nice read from @pradtke.bsky.social

CO2 Pipeline Company Draws $2.4m Fine for Menacing Federal Inspectors - Inside Climate News

Workers were manufacturing pipeline to replace a ruptured section of carbon dioxide line that sent 45 people to the hospital in Mississippi.

insideclimatenews.org

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Reposted by Pam Radtke

Simon Mahan @simonmahan.bsky.social · Feb 14

Elon Musk's xAI wants to use gas turbines long-term at Memphis site, documents show

xAI has filed for a permit with the Shelby County Department of Health that would allow for 15 gas turbines to operate 24/7 at its Memphis site.

www.commercialappeal.com

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Pam Radtke @pradtke.bsky.social · Feb 13

Where is this from? Annual report??

Pam Radtke @pradtke.bsky.social · Feb 13

emissions???????

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Reposted by Pam Radtke

Alexander C. Kaufman @alexckaufman.bsky.social · Feb 12

Remember that Exxon-owned CO2 pipeline that leaked in Mississippi a few years ago and sent 45 people to the hospital?

When federal inspectors showed up recently, they were "taunted, pushed and blocked from doing their jobs." floodlightnews.org/email/904c7b...

CO2 pipeline company draws $2.4M fine for menacing federal inspectors

Workers were manufacturing pipeline to replace a ruptured section of carbon dioxide line that sent 45 people to the hospital in Mississippi

floodlightnews.org

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Reposted by Pam Radtke

Louisiana Illuminator @lailluminator.com · Feb 12

Company that owns ruptured CO2 Mississippi pipeline and another that leaked in Calcasieu Parish has been fined $2.4 million for menacing federal inspectors. @pradtke.bsky.social reports for @floodlightnews.org lailluminator.com/2025/02/12/p...