Cybersecurity
Former Perry Adviser Is FirstEnergy’s Secret Weapon in U.S. Bailout
- Energy chief’s former aide now has a lucrative lobbying firm
- Miller credited with getting Trump to consider bailout
Rick Perry
Photographer: Andrew Harrer/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Before FirstEnergy Corp. sought a federal bailout for its money-losing power plants earlier this year, the company hired a powerful ally: a lobbyist who is a former aide to Energy Secretary Rick Perry.
Jeff Miller, who ran Perry’s unsuccessful 2016 presidential campaign, is now advocating for energy companies with business before the Trump administration including a FirstEnergy subsidiary that is asking the Energy Department to take extraordinary steps reserved for national emergencies. The move could trigger billions of dollars in payments to keep its coal and nuclear power plants online.