Report: The Dollar Store Invasion

Date: 28 Feb 2023 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In this report, we spotlight communities rising up against dollar chains and how federal policymakers need to address the ways in which misguided policies are fueling the destructive proliferation of dollar stores. … Read More

What if…Your Electric Utility Was a Benefit Corporation?

Date: 21 Jul 2016 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

The misunderstandings that from time to time occur between communities and the managers of electric-lighting companies will, to my mind, disappear entirely if the relations between the two are correctly founded on the basis of public control, with corresponding protection to the corporations operating this industry. More than 100 years ago, standing in front of a … Read More

Mountains Beyond Mountains: How Green Mountain Power Became More Than An Electric Utility – Episode 38 of Local Energy Rules Podcast

Date: 7 Jul 2016 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States, Podcast | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

“We just need to become the Ben and Jerry’s of the utility world!” So said Mary Powell (pictured left), CEO and president of Green Mountain Power, as she announced in 2014 that her electric utility had just earned B Corp certification, making it one of more than 1,700 companies in the world committed to rigorous standards … Read More

A Plan B for Every Monopoly Electric Utility?

Date: 28 Oct 2015 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Electric companies seemingly face a business “death spiral” because the 20th century rules for the electric grid make it a challenge to address stagnant energy demand and competition from energy-producing customers. The result is a utility-funded war on solar and other distributed power, and retrenchment on last century’s business model as many utilities try to gain … Read More

Encouraging Corporate Crime

Date: 16 Aug 2012 | posted in: From the Desk of David Morris, The Public Good | 1 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Almost daily we read about another apparently stiff financial penalty meted out for corporate malfeasance. This year corporations are on track to pay as much as $8 billion to resolve charges of defrauding the government, a record sum, according to the Department of Justice.  Last year big business paid the SEC $2.8 billion to settle disputes. … Read More

It’s Labor vs. Capital, Stupid

Date: 6 Oct 2011 | posted in: From the Desk of David Morris, The Public Good | 2 Facebooktwitterredditmail

A few months ago Nassim Taleb, author of the Black Swan, an influential book about the crucial importance of unpredictable, unforeseen events on our financial system was asked whether the hundreds of thousands taking to the streets in Greece was a Black Swan event. He replied, “No. The real Black Swan event is that people are … Read More

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