Patrick Michaels is the Virginia state climatologist and a professor of environmental sciences at the University of Virginia. He’s also a well-known global warming skeptic-for-hire, who earns big bucks from coal, oil and gas companies for denying or downplaying the dangers of global warming.

The latest controversy surrounding Michaels and his questionable research involves a small electric cooperative in Colorado that paid him $100,000 without first informing its member-owners, let alone asking their permission, according to ABC News.
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Intermountain Rural Electric Association (IREA) gets its electricity primarily from power plants that burn coal, a leading source of greenhouse gasses that scientists agree are contributing heavily to global warming. IREA General Manager Stanley Lewandowski, Jr. not only admits paying Michaels $100,000, he also started a fundraising drive with other utilities to raise more money for Michaels.

Utility Memo Explains Motivation for Disinformation Campaign
It’s all spelled out in a nine-page memo [PDF] that Lewandowski sent to 900 fellow members of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, asking for their help in disseminating information in a six-page “fact sheet” that claims to refute the dangers of global warming. Many scientists quickly criticized Lewandowski for misrepresenting the scientific evidence of global warming in the fact sheet by attributing global warming to natural cycles and "the influences of plate tectonics."

In the memo, Lewandowski, whose utility serves 133,000 rural customers between Denver and Colorado Springs, points out his “concern about all of the publicity on global warming and costly measures being advocated to control CO2 emissions.” More specifically, Lewandowski explains his fear that growing public concern about global warming could lead to mandatory caps or taxes on carbon dioxide emissions, which would increase operating costs for coal-fired utilities while making renewable energy more financially feasible.

"There is clearly a well-organized and well-funded effort to undermine the science and cause confusion in the minds of the public," Kevin Trenberth, a climate scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., told ABC News. "And several contrarians have benefited solely to carry this disinformation campaign out."

There is nothing new about various industries giving money to contrarian scientists who are willing to say whatever helps them keep their profits high. Patrick Michaels is one of a handful of scientists who have peddled disinformation about global warming over the years—Michaels is particularly infamous among climate scientists for expounding the bright side and potential benefits of global warming—but most of the others have gradually fallen silent as scientific consensus about the progress and causes of global warming became overwhelming.

A Shocking Breach of Public Trust
What surprised many expert observers about IREA paying Michaels for his views was the utility’s breach of trust with its members.

"It's outrageous," Ron Binz, a public utility consultant who formerly served as Colorado’s state utility consumer advocate, told ABC News. "It's an abuse of authority. The customers are member-owners. [General Manager] Stan Lewandowski is basically spending other people's money."

Binz continued, saying that Lewandowski is "absolutely committed to fossil fuels going forward. He's free to do that, I guess. But I think his member-owners should seriously question whether he's acting in their best interest. He's shooting first and asking questions later."

For his part, Lewandowski made no apologies about the memo or the $100,000 payment to Michaels, but he said he would take the issue to his members in the wake of the ABC News story. Meanwhile, both the Virginia governor’s office and the University of Virginia sought to distance themselves from the controversy, saying that Michaels private research is his own business and does not necessarily represent their views.

More information:

Making Money by Feeding Confusion Over Global Warming – ABC News

Funding a Global-Warming Skeptic – Wired News/Associated Press

Small Colorado coal burner pays big bucks to climate change denier – Grist

Climatologist's private work debated – Richmond Times-Dispatch

Rewriting The Science: Scientist Says Politicians Edit Global Warming Research – CBS News