News Releases

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 (opens in new tab) posted by the...

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 (opens in new tab) criticizing rising utility rates and...

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...

California Oil Refiners’ Gasoline Profit Margin Hit 97 cents Per Gallon in April, Retail Refining Margin Is $1.02

June 24, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA – As oil refiners make a case in Sacramento for a bailout, new data published by the California Energy Commission shows oil refiners...

CW To Big Three: NY Times Investigation Reveals East Coast Regional Grid Disaster And Shows Need To Shelve Western Regional Grid Plans In SB 540 

June 10, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA —  Consumer Watchdog wrote to Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders today pointing out a new New York Times investigation (opens in new tab) about the failure...

CA Regional Electricity Deregulation Ramrods Through CA Senate Despite Concerns About Trump, Oversight And Costs;  GOP Senator Calls It “Big Beautiful Bill” 

June 5, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA – In a bipartisan ramrod, reminiscent of the vote over the first electricity deregulation bill in 1996, the California Senate approved legislation allowing for...

Refining Industry Profiteering and Misinformation Revealed At Oversight Hearing 

May 29, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

Sacramento, CA – At a California Assembly oversight hearing, state regulators revealed new data showing that oil refiners feeding branded stations have made a killing from...

CA Oil Refiners Profit Margins Tick Up In February As They Exploit Refinery Outage To Make More Profits

May 13, 2025  ·  Jamie Court

New data posted by the California Energy Commission shows oil refiners making an average 80 cents per gallon in gross refining margins from the sale...