Power Corrupts: Cleaning Up America's Biggest Industry

“We desperately need utilities playing a serious role in the clean energy transition; instead, as this richly reported book makes clear, we have too many players pursuing their own interest instead of the public’s. Read it, and then, join us in the fight to seriously regulate these behemoths.” ―Bill McKibben, founder, Third Act

“Power Corrupts shreds the country club camouflage that masks unscrupulous, often illegal, activities in the C-Suites of many of America’s leading electric utilities. It also describes how utility regulatory commissions evolved from guard dogs into lapdogs. If you are curious about why your utility bills are skyrocketing, read this book!” ―Denis Hayes, CEO, Bullitt Foundation

“Power Corrupts documents how for-profit electric utilities have infected government with deceit, fraud, and graft. It is essential reading to understand why our energy system is failing to deliver for American consumers.” ―Ari Peskoe, director, Harvard Electricity Law Initiative

Richard Munson is Director of the Northeast-Midwest Institute, a non-partisan policy research center in Washington, D.C. Having founded the National Solar Lobby and Center for Renewable Resources in the 1970s, he has spent the last 25 years spearheading innovative public policy approaches to help meet America’s energy needs. He frequently testifies before Congress, collaborates with regional energy and power providers, briefs local and state governments on their energy options, and provides consumer information on energy choices. His articles on the business and politics of the electricity industry have appeared in publications ranging from The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times to the journals of the National Academy of Sciences, environmental organizations and utility associations. He is the author of The Power Makers, Cousteau: The Captain and His World, and The Cardinals of Capitol Hill.