Fortnightly Magazine - November 15 2022

When ESG Talks, People Listen

An Awkward Though Important Acronym

Companies that score well are those that are moving in the right direction with respect to their environmental footprint, their workforce and spend diversity, and other qualities that are both good for their communities and financially risk-lowering.

CFO Roundtable

ESG

Conversations with the chief financial officers of Entergy, Drew Marsh; CMS Energy, Rejji Hayes; and Puget Sound Energy, Kazi Hasan.

CFO Roundtable: Drew Marsh

Entergy

“If you added up our industrial customers from an emissions perspective, they would rank number two as a state. It is a large industrial base that is going to have to clean up its operations. We are ready to go with their electrification efforts.”

CFO Roundtable: Rejji Hayes

CMS Energy

“We’re making sure investors are made whole, because they were earning on coal facilities based on our economic model. We’re bringing in opportunities in acquisition of gas facilities and future build out of solar generation, on which they’ll get an attractive return on investment.”

CFO Roundtable: Kazi Hasan

Puget Sound Energy

“Our target is to minimize energy inequity. Our target also is to figure out who is being inequitably more impacted by our business and how we can manage these conditions.”

What SEC's Rule Means

ESG

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Director for Capital Markets Competitiveness provides insights on where the SEC may be going with that proposed rule.

CEOs on the S (and Diversity) in ESG

ESG

Conversations with Edison International CEO Pedro Pizarro, Ameren Executive Chair Warner Baxter (also EEI Chair), and U.S. Department of Energy Deputy Director-Energy Justice Tony Reames. Co-moderated with LMI customer expert Larry Glover.

CEOs on ESG: Pedro Pizarro

Edison International

“Are we going to keep coastal communities where they are and build a big seawall or move them inland and, if so, what do we do with our wires? This is going to the E, but goes to the S, because we’re going to have tough societal choices around how we adapt to climate change.”

CEOs on ESG: Warner Baxter

Ameren and EEI

“We invest with others in the community in economic development projects that have a longer-term view in areas that need investment to grow. It’s how you drive inclusive economic growth. I call it patient capital.”

CEOs on ESG: Tony Reames

DOE

“Being able to identify places with a high proportion of people in arrears, is there targeting in that community, whether utilities target weatherization, a pilot of some type of special payment program, or percentage of income payment plans?”
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