Electric power industry lobbying expenses 1998-2010
February 9, 2011 If money talks, then electric utilities have been some of the loudest voices in Washington over the past decade. Electric power utilities ranked third in the nation in lobbying expenses over the period from 1998-2010, according to OpenSecrets.org, a non-partisan group which tracks the influence of campaign money on elections and public policy.
Over the 12 year period, electric utilities spent $1.42 billion on lobbying, topped only by insurance at $1.5 billion and pharmaceuticals at $2.08 billion, according to OpenSecrets' website. In 2010 alone, the industry spent $191 million, employing 902 lobbyists in the process. PG&E Corp. was the biggest lobbyist in 2010 spending $45.4 million, followed by Southern Co. ($13.2 million), Edison Electric Institute ($13.1 million), American Electric Power ($10.3 million), and Duke Energy ($6.5 million).
The following charts show industry level spending since 1998, plus expenditures of the industry's three national trade associations.
Electric Industry Lobbying Expenditures
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
American Public Power Association
Chart and Data Source: OpenSecrets.org