News Releases

Gut and Amended Western Grid Electricity Deregulation Bill Jettisons Guardrails Put In By Senate And Exposes CA To Price Gouging And Coal Power

September 10, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA  — Eleventh-hour California legislation creating a regional grid eliminates all the guardrails added by the Senate and opens California consumers to price gouging, having to pay for coal power and federal preemption...

Oil Lobbyists Demand No Setback In Carbon Pipeline Legislation, Threatening Public

September 5, 2025  ·  Liza Tucker

Los Angeles, CA—Two oil and gas lobbyists are refusing to have included into two carbon pipeline bills legislative language creating a safe buffer zone between...

Watchdog Urges Against CA End-of-Session Power Grab To Increase Energy Costs And Benefit Prop 50 Donors As “Betrayal of the Electorate”

September 2, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA —  Consumer Watchdog warned California legislative leaders that ignoring legislative rules and racing through a utility-backed regional electricity deregulation plan in the last ten days...

Newsom’s Energy Commission Freezes Price Gouging Penalty, Leaves Consumers Open to Gasoline Price Spikes

August 29, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA – The Newsom Administration’s California Energy Commission voted to freeze for five years deliberations on a gasoline price gouging penalty promised by Governor...

Public Interest Groups To Legislators: Don’t Let Newsom Sell Out Real Utility Rate Reforms In Eleventh Hour Deal For Utility-backed Western Grid Proposal And Wildfire Fund

August 28, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA — Consumer and environmental groups have written California legislative leaders taking issue with Governor Newsom’s latest claim that a Western grid is “our best...

Watchdog Calls on Gov and CEC To Not Betray Stated Values And To Preserve the Gasoline Price Gouging Penalty To Prevent Price Spikes

August 27, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA – Consumer Watchdog wrote Governor Newsom and the Vice Chair of the California Energy Commission (CEC) Siva Gunda today to remind them of their...

Air Regulators Turned Lobbyists Lead To False Conclusions About Need For Carbon Capture in Cap-and-Trade, Consumer Watchdog Tells Legislative Leaders

August 19, 2025  ·  Liza Tucker

Los Angeles, CA — As lawmakers take up Cap-and-Trade for extension to 2045, they should reject any lobbyist pressure to include Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)...

Consumer Alert Warns About 11th Hour CA Electricity Deregulation Scheme That Will Raise Rates and Increase Coal Power

August 18, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA—Consumer Watchdog released a short “Consumer Alert”  white-board video warning about the dangers of a last-minute push by Governor Newsom and the legislature to rewrite...

Oil Refiners Take Home $1.01 Per Gallon In Gross Profits In May; $1.05 On Retail Sales

July 24, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA – California oil refiners’ profits per gallon grew in May to top $1 per gallon, according to new data posted by the California Energy Commission (CEC). ...

Newsom Oil Permits At Standstill, But New Administration Proposal Could Lead to Approval of 4,700 More Oil Wells Next Year

July 23, 2025  ·  Liza Tucker

Los Angeles, CA — No new drilling permits for oil and gas wells were approved in the second quarter of 2025, extending a promising trend...

Newsom Should Halt Support of CA Western Regional Grid as 9 Governors Criticize Grid Rising Rates and Mismanagement in the East

July 23, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

Yesterday’s PJM Auction Results Will Raise Utility Rates Again Sacramento, CA – As nine governors collectively signed a letter criticizing rising utility rates and mismanagement at an Eastern...

50+ Environmental and Public Interest Groups Oppose CA Oil Refiner Bailout, Urge State to Stand Strong on Accountability

June 27, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA  – As the California Energy Commission (CEC) proposed a list of oil refinery strategies to Governor Newsom, including key regulatory rollbacks, 51 public interest...