Tag Archives: CPUC

Who Should Inspect Lyft, Uber Cars?

by Carolyn Said, San Francisco Chronicle

uber lyft sidecar vehicle

Vehicle inspections have long been a bone of contention for critics of the ride-hailing services, who contend that regulations are too lax. … Several driver-mentors who do inspections for Lyft said that they received only minimal training, consisting of text and videos on their phones, and that the inspections were largely cosmetic. … Inspections for taxis are more extensive, underscoring the industry’s assertion that it doesn’t operate on a level playing ground. Read More ›

PUC Leader Critical Of San Bruno Officials, Email Shows

by Marc Lifsher, Los Angeles Times

PG&E pipeline ignites an explosion in San Bruno 9/10/2010.

In what critics described as a growing scandal, federal and state law enforcement agencies have launched investigations into the allegedly improper memos and the relationship between [PG&E] and regulators. The U.S. attorney in San Francisco has filed criminal charges against the utility related to the San Bruno explosion. … The messages, the company said, could reflect improper communications with state regulators. Read More ›

CPUC Commissioner Tied To E-Mail Saying He’d Help PG&E

by Jaxon Van Derbeken, San Francisco Chronicle

CPUC headquarters

Until now, [CPUC Commissioner Mike] Florio has escaped repercussions from the interactions, with much of the focus on outgoing commission President Michael Peevey, whose chief of staff had promised to help company executives who were trying to get a judge of their choice in a key gas rate case arising from the San Bruno explosion that killed eight people and injured nearly 60. … “This shows this is the tip of the iceberg,” said Britt Strottman, attorney for the city. “We now know there are more e-mails out there that PG&E should have disclosed in the first place.” Read More ›

Uber Clueless On Women, Privacy, The Press And Taking The ‘God View’

uber exec toys with car and cash

Forbes reports: “Julia Allison, an attendee at a launch party in Chicago in September 2011, says Uber treated guests to Creepy Stalker View, showing them the whereabouts and movements of 30 Uber users in New York in real time. She recognized half of the people listed and texted one of them, entrepreneur Peter Sims, revealing that she knew his current whereabouts.” Read More ›

PG&E Got $29 Million In ‘Corrupt Deal’ With State, Group Says

by Jaxon Van Derbeken, San Francisco Chronicle

CPUC headquarters

A ratepayer group demanded Wednesday that the California Public Utilities Commission undo a $29 million profit boost for Pacific Gas and Electric Co. that the commission approved after its president reportedly solicited the utility’s help in defeating a state ballot measure. “We have got compelling evidence of a corrupt deal between PG&E and President Michael Peevey,” said Tom Long, attorney for The Utility Reform Network. Read More ›

CPUC Lawyers Say Bosses Kept Quiet on Judge-shopping Order

by Jaxon Van Derbeken, San Francisco Chronicle

CPUC headquarters

“To our knowledge, the commission has not taken appropriate steps in the past months to preserve evidence, such as notifying all relevant commission officers and staff of their obligations,” the lawyers wrote to the five commissioners. They said some agency offices were planning “clean-out days” in preparation for a return to the commission’s renovated headquarters on Van Ness Avenue, “and that records may be destroyed in the process.” Read More ›

CPUC Head Michael Peevey to Step Down

by Jaxon Van Derbeken, San Francisco Chronicle

CPUC headquarters

On Monday, PG&E released a 2010 e-mail from a former utility vice president to his boss, recounting a dinner the executive had with Peevey. The former vice president, Brian Cherry, wrote that Peevey appeared to be leaning on PG&E to contribute at least $1 million to fight a ballot measure that would have put a hold on a California law limiting greenhouse gas emissions. … PG&E eventually spent $500,000 against the measure, which state voters defeated in November 2010. In the same e-mail, Cherry wrote that Peevey wanted PG&E to contribute $100,000 to help fund a 100th anniversary celebration for the commission. Read More ›

PG&E’s Judge Shopping Outrages State PUC Employees

by Jaxon Van Derbeken, San Francisco Chronicle

PG&E pipeline ignites an explosion in San Bruno 9/10/2010.

Staff expressed outrage at PUC officials’ promises to help PG&E get the administrative law judge (ALJ) it wanted to hear a rate case that will decide how post-San Bruno explosion costs will be divided between customers and shareholders. PG&E is seeking to have its customers pay nearly $1.3 billion for pipeline improvements following the 2010 blast that killed eight people and leveled 38 homes. PUC President Peevey’s chief of staff resigned and three PG&E executives were fired over what the commission called “inappropriate” back-channel communications to pick an ALJ for the rate case. Read More ›

Gov. Brown Signs Insurance Bill for Uber and Competitors

by Marc Lifsher, Los Angeles Times

AB 2293 ensures that drivers for services such as Uber and Lyft don’t rely on personal insurance policies when engaging in commercial activities. Firms must provide $50,000 coverage for injuries to a single passenger, $100,000 for all occupants of a car and have $200,000 worth of coverage available for victims of more serious mishaps. State Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones instead backs a proposal at the California Public Utilities Commission, which is expected to incorporate provisions of AB 2293 into proposed regulations now being considered. Read More ›

Shakeup at PG&E, State Agency over ‘Inappropriate’ Talks

by Jaxon Van Derbeken, San Francisco Chronicle

PG&E pipeline ignites an explosion in San Bruno 9/10/2010.

A string of e-mails shows PG&E influenced the selection of an administrative law judge (ALJ) to decide how much of a burden customers should bear for billions of dollars of gas-pipeline improvements after the September 2010 San Bruno explosion that killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes. CPUC President Michael Peevey has asked his chief of staff to resign, and he said he would not take part in any commission vote on how much PG&E should be penalized for the blast. PG&E plans to appeal the $1.4 billion penalty, and an appeal would likely come before the commission. Read More ›

PG&E Faces $1.4 Billion in Penalties for San Bruno Blast

by Jaxon Van Derbeken, San Francisco Chronicle

PG&E pipeline ignites an explosion in San Bruno 9/10/2010.

The CPUC judges levied a $950 million fine for keeping shoddy pipeline records, violating safety rules and failing to make legally required gas-system adjustments before the September 2010 blast that killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes. They also ordered the company to refund $400 million it received from customers but failed to spend on safety improvements. “We want to see a lot more to rate relief and fixing the pipes,” said Mark Toney, executive director of The Utility Reform Network. “The bottom line is ratepayers shouldn’t be left holding the bag.” Read More ›

Uber-rich transportation firms should be liable for death or injury

Update 8/27: The Consumer Federation of California (CFC) today removed its support for Assembly Bill 2293 (Bonilla) due to changes in the insurance coverage proposed for transportation network companies (TNCs). “An earlier version of AB 2293 which CFC supported mandated TNC coverage of one million dollars per [incident]. … Read More ›

PG&E pleads not guilty in gas explosion case; San Bruno demands PUC preserve computer drives

by George Avalos, San Jose Mercury News

PG&E pipeline ignites an explosion in San Bruno 9/10/2010.

The 2010 natural gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno killed eight people. PG&E is charged with 28 federal criminal counts, including obstruction of justice for allegedly impeding an investigation into the explosion and safety violations that led to the explosion, San Bruno officials are concerned that key electronic and paper documents could vanish. The utility faces a fine of up to $1.13 billion if convicted. Read More ›

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