Energy

Watchdog Group Goes After PUC Commissioner Duque

October 5, 2000  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">San Francisco Chronicle</p> <p>A government watchdog group launched a legal maneuver yesterday to oust one of the state's five utility commissioners because he invested nearly $10,000 in a mobile-phone company his agency regulates.</p>

Utility bills may charge up election

September 27, 2000  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Stockton Record</p> <p>A second major utility has announced its intention to bill customers for costs associated with this summer's skyrocketing power prices, but consumer advocates tried to throw up a roadblock Tuesday by injecting the issue into state political races.</p>

PG&E, Edison seek OK to bill consumers for price-hike debt

September 27, 2000  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">San Diego Union Tribune</p> <p>The crisis caused by electrical deregulation -- which has blown budgets across San Diego -- is now leading Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric to press for approval to back-charge their customers more than $4 billion for this summer's pr</p>

Power Plants Ask for Huge Tax Breaks

September 25, 2000  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Counties resist pressure to reduce valuations</h3><p class="source">San Francisco Chronicle</p> <p>Companies that bought up power plants under the state's deregulation program are now filing challenges to county tax assessments, arguing in some cases that the plants are worth only a fraction of their sale prices.</p>

PG&E rate shock feared

September 21, 2000  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Higher charges will be sought, but CEO says they would be spread out</h3><p class="source">San Jose Mercury News</p> <p>PG&E may seek to lift a state cap on Northern California's electric rates later this year, the company's top official said Wednesday, potentially exposing consumers to rate hikes months earlier than the utility company had indicated last week.</p>

Higher utility bills a step closer

September 18, 2000  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>PUC to hear companies' plans to pass costs onto customers</h3><p class="source">Stockton Record</p> <p>The California Public Utilities Commission on Tuesday opened a door that could allow utilities to double the price their customers pay for electricity despite a state-imposed rate freeze.</p>

Race Is On To Provide Help On Electric Woes

August 31, 2000  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Sacramento Bee</p> <p>With their final adjournment scheduled for midnight tonight, state legislators are in a frantic, last-minute struggle to ease the sky-high electric bills enraging San Diego-area residents and head off possible rate increases for millions of other Californ</p>

Electricity Compromise Emerges In Legislature

August 30, 2000  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Associated Press</p> <p>A rescue plan for San Diego's strapped utility customers moved through the Legislature on Wednesday night, offering a $150 million bailout, lower rates and a speedup in power plant construction.</p>

San Diego Officials Decry Rate Plan

August 29, 2000  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Camped in Sacramento to plead for relief from electricity bills that have cost San Diegans hundreds of million of dollars extra this summer, San Diego County supervisors on Monday attacked Gov. Gray Davis' proposed rate relief plan as a sham.</p>

Power to the People– At an Affordable Rate

August 15, 2000  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<!-- excerpt --><p>As they munch on smoked duck ravioli and Squid ink tagliolini at a chic Italian eatery tonight (8/14) hosted by the Sempra energy conglomerate, DNC officials might pause between courses to consider the plight of utility ratepayers 120 miles to the south.</p>

Lawmakers to Hold Hearing on Utility Bills

July 21, 2000  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Energy: Reacting to complaints about soaring costs in San Diego County, they plan to consider amending, delaying or killing deregulation bill</h3><p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>Faced with growing public outrage over soaring utility bills in San Diego and southern Orange County, state legislators Thursday agreed to hold a hearing on whether to amend, delay or even repeal the utility deregulation bill blamed for the increases.</p>

Oxy Cashes In On Oil Price Spikes

July 20, 2000  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Los Angeles Times</p> <p>In the first of a series of oil industry reports likely to rekindle consumer charges of profiteering, Occidental Petroleum Corp. said Wednesday that its profit surged to a record high</p>