Art of the Self-Deal, a new report issued this week by Oil Change International, charges “that regulators are asleep at the wheel when it comes to assessing whether new gas pipelines are in consumers’ best interest.”  Issued in collaboration with Public Citizen and the Sierra Club, the report addresses the question of whether new natural gas pipeline can be justified, particularly when “ratepayers could end up shouldering long-term costs for pipeline capacity they don’t need, while losing out on opportunities to take advantage of increasingly cheaper, cleaner choices.”  Among other points made by the report are:

  • Corporate self-dealing is increasing the likelihood that ratepayers, not shareholders, bear the financial risks of investing in unneeded infrastructure
  • High rates of return may be incentivizing unnecessary pipelines
  • In today’s dynamic energy landscape, the demand for gas over the next 20 years and beyond is highly uncertain.
Regulators Accused of Being “Asleep at the Wheel” in New Report
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