Energy

Energy – CONFLICT CHARGED:

October 11, 2002  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Contra Costa Times</p> <p>A consumer group asked California Gov. Gray Davis to fire UBS Warburg LLC as investment banker for Pacific Gas & Electric Co.'s reorganization, saying the bank has conflicts of interest.</p>

Regulators propose surcharge on third-party electric bills; Up Front

October 7, 2002  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Los Angeles Business Journal</p> <p>State regulators, looking to help repay California's power debt, have proposed levying a hefty surcharge on thousands of companies and public institutions that rushed to sign up third-party electric power contracts in the summer of 2001.</p>

Editorial: The Incremental Governor

October 2, 2002  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The San Francisco Chronicle</p> <p>In the hours leading up to a midnight deadline to sign or veto legislation, Gov. Gray Davis lived up to his reputation as an avowed incrementalist.</p>

Edison rescue plan may be illegal

September 24, 2002  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>The 9th Circuit Court also casts doubt on the PUC's proposal to rescue PG&E</h3><p class="source">Sacramento Bee</p> <p>A federal appeals court said Monday it doubts the legality of a deal struck by California regulators to rescue the state's second-largest utility from the brink of bankruptcy in 2001.</p>

Above the rules; How California legislators subvert the public interest-and even the expressed will of the voters

September 22, 2002  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The San Francisco Chronicle</p> <p>Over the years, various reforms have attempted to reduce the supremacy of leadership and restore the level of deliberation and fair play in the legislative process. These rules, however, are treated in Sacramento as if they were made to broken.</p>

PG&E suffers setback on plan, but wins right to spin off companies

September 19, 2002  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">BCD News and Comment</p> <p>Since the Pacific Gas & Electric Co. filed for bankruptcy in April 2001, creditors have been critical of both reorganization plans offered up by either PG&E or the California Public Utilities Commission.</p>

Low on Energy; Will the administration bail out puttering power producers?

September 16, 2002  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Institute for Public Affairs - In These Times</p> <p>With several key players in the energy industry facing a financial meltdown, federal energy regulators and members of the Bush administration have been meeting behind closed doors to discuss emergency measures should some of these companies be forced into</p>

Summary Judgment Denied in PG&E Suit For Relief from Calif. Rate Freeze

September 15, 2002  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Utilities Industry Litigation Reporter</p> <p>A federal judge has denied summary judgment in a suit filed by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. alleging that a California law is unconstitutional insofar as it prevents recovery of the uti</p>

Calif. High Court Rejects Claim That PUC Improperly Devised Bankruptcy Filing

September 15, 2002  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>PG&E Bankruptcy: Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights v. California PUC</h3><p class="source">Utilities Industry Litigation Reporter</p> <p>The California Supreme Court has dismissed a consumer group's claim that the California Public Utilities Commission violated the state open-meeting law by preparing a reorganization plan in closed session and submitting the plan in a bankruptcy proceedin</p>

Group Says California Consumers Overpay by $2 Billion for Gasoline

September 6, 2002  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Oil Daily</p> <p>Californian motorists are overpaying by billions of dollars annually in fuel prices at the pump because West Coast refiners manipulate supplies to keep the retail cost of gasoline artificially high, according to report released by a consumer watchdog grou</p>

Governor, federal regulators fight over who’s in charge of energy

September 2, 2002  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Associated Press</p> <p>Despite evidence of price manipulation by energy companies and findings by federal energy regulators of unfairly high power prices, California has yet to see the first penny in refunds it has been demanding for 14 months.</p>

Ratepayers to suffer from light-speed deal

August 30, 2002  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Financial Times (London)</p> <p>Energy politics in America took a crucial turn in favour of debt holders and generators last week, with implications that are not yet fully priced in by capital markets.</p>