Meter Reading: Frackers Take a Page Out of Tobacco Playbook, NRG Makes Big Buy, and More

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Frackers Fund University Research That Proves Their Case —“As the U.S. enjoys a natural-gas boom from a process called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, producers are taking a page from the tobacco industry playbook: funding research at established universities that arrives at conclusions that counter concerns raised by critics.” — Bloomberg

NRG Energy is buying Houston’s GenOn – “NRG Energy plans to buy Houston-based GenOn Energy in a $1.7 billion stock deal that will create the nation’s largest independent power producer, the companies said Sunday.” — Houston Chronicle

Column: Utility commission forgets the public – “We need a better name for the Public Utility Commission. Some suggestions: “The Big Generator Support Commission” or “The Utilities’ Legion of Lapdogs” or, perhaps, with apologies to the Muppets, “Electric Mayhem.” Whatever name is given to this motley band, the word “public” should be removed from its title because it’s become increasingly ironic if not insulting. The PUC is doing far more to support the industry it purports to regulate than to champion the interests of the public.” — Fuel Fix