Energy is a basic need, and many Americans are struggling to afford it in the COVID-19 recession

  Several months into the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, lower-income families are struggling to pay their energy bills. That’s a big concern during extreme events like summer heat waves, which can be deadly – especially for elderly people, young children, people of color, and the poor.

  We ran a nationally representative survey in May 2020 of U.S. low-income households to measure energy insecurity. We found that 13% of respondents had been unable to pay an energy bill during the prior month, 9% had received an electricity utility shutoff notice and 4% had had their electric utility service disconnected.

Cameron Smith: Populism, power and the Public Service Commission

  Over the last several months, the Alabama Public Service Commission (PSC) has held a number of informal hearings inviting public comment and questions regarding all aspects of Alabama Power’s business. Interested organizations and citizens were given the opportunity to examine a wide range of topics from the Rate Stabilization and Equalization mechanism to reviewing Alabama Power’s operations and painstakingly exploring its finances.