After a surge in street explosions in 2010 and 2011, Rio's mayor, Eduardo Paes, and prosecutors pressured utility companies into agreeing to pay fines of about $50,000 for each explosion, in addition to damages to victims.
But under pressure from utilities it had previously dropped plans to classify coal ash as hazardous waste.
The real villain, they argue, is deregulation, which has increased pressure on utilities to cut costs and, perhaps, cut corners on maintenance.
His plan is to pressure the utilities commission to place less restrictions on broadband operators, letting them duke it out, thus reducing prices.
Similarly, because of their adverse impacts on retail electricity rates, German FITs have been subject to increasing political pressure from utilities and customers.
He says that the leak may have been intended to put pressure on utility companies to own up to their security vulnerabilities.
OO Australian Heat Waves More Frequent, Hotter and Longer, Climate Council Says OO Under Investor Pressure, Major Utility To Study Emissions.
So far, despite decaying infrastructure and budget pressures,, water utilities have delivered on their promise of healthy water.
And in California, regulators recently pressured the utility giant FPL Group to use more water-efficient technology in a solar power plant project while denying access to water supplies to other developers.
Whether by choice or under pressure from regulators, utilities are selling their plants and buying power in the open market.
