Energy

Power-crisis indictments name Reliant, former execs

April 9, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The San Diego Union-Tribune</p> <p>"Reliant was among a group of large energy companies that robbed California blind during deregulation, so this should only be the beginning of indictments," said Douglas Heller, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights</p>

Gas price nears record

April 9, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">San Mateo County Times</p> <p>As consumers feel the sting of high prices, Shell Oil's decision to close a Bakersfield refinery is coming under fire. This week, the consumer group FTCR released internal Shell documents that show that refinery has been the among Shell's most profitable</p>

Reliant On Unregulated Energy Companies

April 9, 2004  ·  Doug Heller

<font face="verdana,sans-serif" size="2">Today a federal grand jury indicted Reliant Energy for manipulating the California energy market as far back as June 2000. Reliant at one point charged the state $1900 per megawatt-hour of...</font>

Group Asks California Attorney General to Force Shell to Keep Refinery Open

April 8, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Bakersfield Californian</p> <p>The FTC told a U.S. senator on Tuesday that it is evaluating Shell's decision to close the Rosedale Highway refinery. The same day, consumer rights group FTCR announced it had obtained internal company documents which it said showed the refinery was a mo</p>

FTC Will Review Shell Oil’s Plan to Close Refinery;

April 8, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Some antitrust experts wonder whether the Bakersfield plant is in the agency's jurisdiction.</h3><p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Jamie Court, president of Santa Monica-based FTCR, recently urged the attorney general to redouble his efforts on the case, citing Shell documents that show the Bakersfield refinery is profitable and running with higher profit margins than any of the comp</p>

Shell refinery closure called move to drive up gas prices

April 7, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Sacramento Bee</p> <p>The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights released internal Shell documents showing Bakersfield's refining margin at $23.01 per barrel, or about 55 cents profit per gallon, which topped all of Shell's U.S. refineries.</p>

Refinery closure angers watchdog

April 7, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Californian (Salinas, CA)</p> <p>"This is a national example of how refiners cheat rather than compete in the restriction of supply by artificial means," said Jamie Court, president of the Santa Monica-based watchdog group FTCR, who also said it obtained the documents from company source</p>

Opponents gear up against Shell Oil;

April 7, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Consumer group asks Lockyer to halt plan to close refinery</h3><p class="source">The San Francisco Chronicle</p> <p>"Only an oil company that wants to short the market and artificially drive up the price of gasoline would demolish a highly profitable refinery rather than sell it," said Jamie Court, president of FTCR, which is based in Santa Monica.</p>

Consumer watchdog questions refinery shutdown

April 7, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, CA)</p> <p>"This is a really major fraud on the public to close a refinery that creates 2 percent of the gas in the state," said Jamie Court, president of FTCR. "This evidence should also spur a national moratorium on all further domestic refinery closures."</p>

Plan to Shut Refinery Draws More Questions;

April 6, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Critics say Shell Oil's decision to close its Bakersfield facility is an attempt to boost profit.</h3><p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>State Senator Joe Dunn suggested that idling the Shell Bakersfield refinery could be part of a "deliberate strategy" to dictate gasoline pricing in California. Jamie Court, president of FTCR has said the organization will sue to block the closure if CA</p>

Consumer group questions Shell’s decision to close refinery

April 6, 2004  ·  Jamie Court

<p class="source">Associated Press</p> <p>A consumer group asked Attorney General Bill Lockyer on Tuesday to investigate whether Shell Oil Products has broken unfair competition laws by planning to close a Bakersfield gasoline refinery while California's gas prices remain high.</p>

Letter To California Attorney General Bill Lockyer

April 6, 2004  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Shell Documents Give You Ability To Keep Bakersfield Refinery Open</h3>