"Playing Nuclear-Plant Chicken: Exelon's Crane Makes Springfield Rounds Again"

The BEST coalition is described on its website as "a 501 (C)(4) nonprofit organization comprised of business, government and consumer groups as well as small and large businesses working to protect struggling Illinois ratepayers from rate increases caused by the proposed $1.6 billion Exelon bailout. We do not oppose nuclear power. We oppose bad policy that would increase costs to consumers and businesses without providing any benefits." (emphasis added)

BEST has reprinted at its website an article by Crain's Chicago Business, "Playing Nuclear-Plant Chicken: Exelon's Crane Makes Springfield Rounds Again."

Exelon's takeover of Pepco on brink of collapse!

Sept. 17, 2015 PowerDC rally against Exelon takeover of Pepco, before marching to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser's office to deliver the hand-signed banner.As reported by the Washington Post, Chicago-based Exelon Nuclear and Mid-Atlantic utility Pepco have filed "last-ditch" proposals to save their $6.8 billion merger from imminent defeat. But the proposals lack support from any other party to the D.C. Public Service Commission (PSC) proceeding, including D.C.'s mayor, attorney general, and Office of Public Counsel. The proposals have been previously rejected by the D.C. PSC, multiple times. And they would up-end a proceeding that has been under way for two years already, providing the public with an absurdly short one-week time period in which to comment.

Although Exelon President and CEO, Chris Crane, had said recently to investors that he would walk away from the takevoer if it weren't settled by March 4, he has now urged the DC PSC to agree to the new bad deal by April 7.

PowerDC, a coalition of environmental, public interest, and ratepayer groups, urges D.C. residents and ratepayers to take action, to block Exelon's bad deal, once and for all.

Washington, D.C.'s mayor, attorney general, and Office of People's Counsel reject PSC conditions for Exelon takeover of Pepco!

Hold the presses! As reported by PowerDC, as well as NIRS and CCAN, the Mayor of Washington, D.C., Muriel Bowser, as well as D.C.'s Attorney General, Karl Racine, and the Office of People's Counsel, Sandra Mattavous-Frye, Esq., have all rejected the PSC's conditions for the Exelon takeover of Pepco to proceed. As reported by the Washington Post, this could well doom the corrupt deal. (Note that an earlier version of the Washington Post article stated, appropriately, that "The debate over the merger centered on the role of renewable energy sources like wind and solar against legacy technologies, such as nuclear power and natural gas. Many environmental groups opposed the deal because they believed it would hinder the migration toward renewable energies." (emphasis added) But, Orwellian "down the memory hold" style, the current version of the article has edited out this entirely appropriate language!) But eternal vigilance and redoubling of efforts is more called for than ever: PowerDC will hold a press conference at the JW Marriott near the mayor's office at the Wilson Building in downtown D.C. on Wed., March 2nd at noon, calling for an end to this bad deal, once and for all. You can take action too, by writing D.C. decision makers.