An analysis released Tuesday shows the nine largest U.S. energy utility companies raked in nearly $14 billion in combined profits during the first three quarters of 2021 — and dished out roughly $11 billion to their wealthy shareholders.

The watchdog group Accountable.US found that NextEra Energy, Duke Energy, Southern Company, Dominion Energy, Constellation Energy, Eversource Energy, Entergy Corporation, DTE Energy and CMS Energy Corporation brought in $13.8 billion in the first nine months of this fiscal year.

The firms, the nine largest in the U.S. by market capitalization, returned over $11.2 billion to shareholders during that period in the form of dividends and stock buybacks.

The utility giants‘ massive profits have come at a cost to U.S. households, roughly 20 million of which are behind on their utility payments as providers continue to raise rates across the U.S., pushing home energy costs to unaffordable levels and prompting warnings of a “tsunami of shutoffs.”

https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/utility-bills-corporate-greed-shareholder-profits/?