News Releases

Watchdog and Actual Wildfire Survivors Launch “Utilities Shareholders First” to Counter PG&E-Backed “Wildfire Victims First”

April 16, 2026  ·  Jamie Court

New coalition challenges utilities decision to pretend to be the people they’ve harmed Sacramento, CA — In response to PG&E’s latest entry into what critics call “reality-reversal...

45 Public Interest Groups Point To CA Price Gouging, Demand CEC Write Overdue Regulations To Address CA’s Pain At Pump

April 10, 2026  ·  Jamie Court

Los Angeles, CA—45 environmental and public interest groups are demanding that Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Energy Commission immediately implement long-overdue rules to protect...

Landmark Legislation Requiring Independent Audits Of Utility Wildfire Mitigation Spending Before More Is Approved Passes Assembly Energy Committee

April 8, 2026  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA – Tackling one of the biggest cost drivers of utility rates, the California Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee passed Assembly Bill 1774 (Boerner) 11-0,...

Consumer Watchdog Says CEA Report Fails To Evaluate Viable And Popular Options To Deal With Wildfire Crisis 

April 8, 2026  ·  Carmen Balber

Los Angeles, CA – Consumer Watchdog issued the following statement in response to the report (opens in new tab) by the California Earthquake Authority in responding to SB...

California Oil Refiners Raking In More Than $1.50 Per Gallon In Profit, Governor Newsom Needs To Bring Back Price Gouging Penalty

March 23, 2026  ·  Jamie Court

Los Angeles, CA – New data shows that California oil refiners have been making more than a dollar per gallon more than they made in January...

Assemblymember Boerner Introduces Bills To Cap Utility Profits and Require Accountability For Wildfire Prevention Spending 

March 11, 2026  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA — San Diego-area Assemblymember Tasha Boerner introduced two bills tackling two of the biggest drivers of rising electricity bills in California: excessive profits at...

Utilities, Insurers, Oil Companies Must Pay Their Fair Share, Groups Say As CEA Finalizes Study Addressing Who Pays for Catastrophes

March 6, 2026  ·  Carmen Balber

Los Angeles, CA – The California Earthquake Authority today moved one step closer to submitting a report to the Legislature and Governor on who should pay...

New CA Gas Price Spike Fault of Newsom Energy Commission’s Oversight Failure, Legislative Hearings Warranted

February 19, 2026  ·  Jamie Court

Los Angeles, CA – Consumer Watchdog said today that the California Energy Commission (CEC) was not using the powers the legislature granted several years ago to...

More New CA Oil Drilling Permits Approved in January Than All Of 2025 As Path to Clean Energy Faces Mounting State, Industry, and Federal Threats, Watchdogs Warn

February 5, 2026  ·  Liza Tucker

Los Angeles, CA—Last year, permit approvals for drilling new wells continued falling, but in the first three weeks of January alone, California oil regulators issued...

Make Utility, Insurance, Fossil Fuel Industries Pay Their Fair Share for Wildfire Recovery and Invest in Reducing Climate Risk

December 15, 2025  ·  Carmen Balber

Consumer Watchdog Submits Recommendations to CEA for Governor’s Resiliency Report Los Angeles, CA – California should hold the industries responsible for fueling climate change, causing wildfires...

Californians Overpaid $59 Billion At The Gas Pump For A Decade, Advocates Decry Industry Tactics At Energy Commission

December 8, 2025  ·  Liza Tucker

At a California Energy Commission meeting advocates expressed outrage at the oil industry’s stonewalling of reform

In Wake of Few 3rd Q Drilling Permits, New Data Confirm California’s Oil Production in Irreversible Decline

November 18, 2025  ·  Liza Tucker

Los Angeles, CA–Consumer Watchdog and FracTracker Alliance said today that the latest oil and gas data confirms a long-term, irreversible trend. California’s oil production is...