Tag Archives: San Diego Gas & Electric
State To Probe Peevey Party Proceeds
by Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune
The soiree honored former California Public Utilities Commission President Michael Peevey, and funds were raised in the name of his successor, Michael Picker. The $250-a-plate event was held at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco as consumer activists protested outside. Read More ›
Committee Seeks San Onofre Emails Again
by Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune
The chairman of the Assembly committee that oversees the California Public Utilities Commission has given the agency until the end of this month to secure and turn over certain emails and other documents from Southern California Edison. Chairman Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood, is asking Commission President Michael Picker to use his authority to demand that Edison provide internal and external emails about the failed San Onofre nuclear plant north of Oceanside. … [The] plant has become a key subject in criminal investigations of the state utilities commission. Much of the scrutiny revolves around private communications between regulators and utility executives. Read More ›
Regulator Went To Power Event In Napa
by Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune
“To my knowledge, the Western Power Trading Forum is one big opportunity to have an illegal ex parte with any commissioner that the group can convince to come and talk to them,” said former commission President Loretta Lynch, now an attorney in private practice. “In some of the most luxurious settings, groups like WPTF wine and dine commissioners while engaging in private, backroom conversations concerning issues directly in front of the PUC. … All Californians should question whether PUC proceedings are appropriately decided, and we should all ask our legislators and the governor to stop this corrupting practice.” Read More ›
California Electricity Rates To Undergo Biggest Change In 15 Years
by David R. Baker and Hamed Aleaziz, The San Francisco Chronicle
California regulators radically revamped the way electricity rates work in the state, approving changes Friday that will raise monthly utility bills for the most energy-efficient homeowners while giving many bigger energy users a break. … “This is a lose-lose for customers, but business as usual for the CPUC, which has once again done PG&E, Edison and SDG&E’s bidding,” [said Mark Toney, head of The Utility Reform Network, a consumer group. … Changing the number of tiers and cutting the difference between them will raise bills for the most energy-efficient households. Read More ›
PUC Critics Cite Concerns Over ‘Revolving Door’
by George Avalos, San Jose Mercury News
[Michael] Peevey, who served as a PUC commissioner and president for 12 years, is seen by the agency’s sharpest critics as the poster child for the damage caused by the revolving door. He came to the PUC after working as president of Southern California Edison, which provides electricity for 14 million customers and is regulated by the PUC. … The exchange of jobs between the PUC and utilities extends to staff as well as commissioners. Tens of thousands of emails released starting last year and extending into January show many instances of PUC staffers working with PG&E executives in a cozy fashion. Read More ›
SB 215 Sustains Drive For CPUC Reforms Originally Sought Via SB 660
1/27/15 update: The Senate passed SB 215 (Leno) 37-0 yesterday, sending the CPUC reform bill to the Assembly. The bill includes limits on “ex parte” (private) communications that CFC had sought in SB 660, which had passed both the Senate and Assembly last fall but was vetoed by Governor … Read More ›
We Saved Consumers $125 Million On Insurance So Far In 2014
by Richard Holober, Executive Director, Consumer Federation of California
10/1/2014 Update: 2014 consumer savings rose to $148.3 million by year’s end. To recap: 1 million AIG policyholders saved $7.7 million on homeowners insurance. Infinity Insurance policyholders saved $15.5 million on auto insurance. 1.2 million Farmers policyholders saved $34 million on homeowners insurance (details below). 1.6 million … Read More ›
California utility will close troubled nuclear plant
by Michael Blood, ABC News
The troubled San Onofre nuclear power plant is closing after a 16-month battle over whether the reactors could be safely restarted with millions of people living nearby. Read More ›
California probe recommended into oversight of trillions of dollars in utility ratepayer money
by George Avalos , San Jose Mercury News
The state legislative analyst recommended that auditors probe whether regulators are properly overseeing accounts for utility projects totaling trillions of dollars. Read More ›