Energy companies are giving more to Republicans to help them win a U.S. Senate majority and counter President Barack Obama ’s environmental agenda. Electric utility political action committees have donated 63 percent of their cash this election cycle to Republican candidates. That represents a partisan flip from four years ago when they gave 55 percent to Democrats and just 43 percent to Republicans, according to data from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics in Washington . Oil-and-gas company committees skew even more to Republicans. They’ve given 83 percent of their cash to the party’s Senate and House candidates so far, 11 points higher than in 2010, the last election in the middle of a presidential term, according to data compiled by the center. Employees of one company, Occidental Petroleum Corp. (OXY) , have more than tripled donations to the Republicans’ Senate election fund from four years ago, at $94,800. […]

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