The biggest electric utility company in my part of the country has recently applied to my state’s public regulatory agency for two separate rate increases. If they can’t get the first one, they’ll already have the second request in the pipeline. They need the increases, they say, to make improvements to their plants, etc. There has been no mention of using any funds to start conversion from coal-powered plants or to any new (and renewable), sustainable sources of energy, just the same tired old arguments about why any and all change is bad. But, hey, if we do away with governmental controls on pollution and prices they can charge us, just look how happy their shareholders and Wall Street will be!