Energy

Big Oil’s Hush Money

Submitted by Liza Tucker on Thu, 11/30/2017 - 16:33

No matter how you look at it, from a sham trading system to "cut" climate-warming emissions to consumers gouged at the pump, Big Oil has us over a barrel by paying the state and politicians what amounts to hush money to stay off its back.
 

Scrapping Of Ventura Natural Gas Plant Is A Win For Consumers

Submitted by Liza Tucker on Tue, 10/17/2017 - 17:49

Consumers just scored a victory with NRG's announcement that it is pulling the plug on a natural gas power plant in Ventura.

The Houston utility had contracted with Southern California Edison (SCE) to build the hotly contested Puente plant in Oxnard. Ratepayers would have shouldered the $300 million price tag.

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The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly From Brown's Pen

Submitted by Liza Tucker on Tue, 10/17/2017 - 12:46

Consumers looking for bold action this year on laws protecting their wallets from rapacious drug companies, their privacy from the prying eyes of telecom companies, and their environment from the degradation of the oil and gas industry, didn't get any. But they did get some legislation that helps them take banks to court for fraud and to follow the money behind political ads.

The Ugly:

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California Energy Commission Favors Scrapping Puente NatGas Power Plant (But Will It Really?)

Submitted by Liza Tucker on Mon, 10/09/2017 - 09:06

The California Energy Commission (CEC) just took the unprecedented step of recommending that the $300-million Puente natural gas power plant slated for Ventura County be mothballed. Power plant builder NRG is under contract to Southern California Edison to build the plant in Oxnard.

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End Of Session Hijinks Leave Consumers In Cold

Submitted by Jamie Court on Sat, 09/16/2017 - 07:47

As the legislature ended its business for the year in the early morning hours, legislative leaders proclaimed a prolific progressive session.  Not so if you care about consumer protection.
 
Key public interest causes were abandoned because of the power of the usual moneyed interest groups and the dependency of state house politicians on them.
 

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Senate Turns Up Heat on Gov Brown's PUC Nominee

Submitted by Carmen Balber on Thu, 08/24/2017 - 14:17

Senate leader Kevin de Leon took the unusual step of withholding his support for Governor Brown’s nominees to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Cliff Rechtschaffen and Martha Guzman Aceves, arguing that they have many questions to answer before de Leon agrees to give them a vote by the full Senate.

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