Energy

As Aliso Canyon Injections Resume, Some Valley Residents Say They Fear The Worst

August 29, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

Jane Fowler says she’s crippled with fear over Southern California Gas Co. resuming injections at the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility near her home....

Consumer Report Alleges Conflicts Of Interest Between Gov. Brown and Sempra

August 29, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

One day after Sempra Energy’s regulated natural gas utility announced it had reopened the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage plant, a Southern California consumer activist...

Jerry Brown Talks A Green Game. So Why Isn’t California Tougher On These Polluters?

August 29, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

Do regulators in California have your back when utilities or industries run amok, or when there’s a threat to public health in your neighborhood? We’d...

PUC Appointee Deserves A Hard Look From State Senate

August 29, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

Depending on how things go in a scheduled Aug. 23 state Senate confirmation hearing on Gov. Jerry Brown’s latest choice for a seat on the...

Op-Ed: Why PUC Confirmation Is A Key Test For Legislators

August 29, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

The recent reopening of the Aliso Canyon natural gas reserve, source of the largest methane leak in U.S. history, should remind state lawmakers that regulation...

EDITORIAL: State Senators Must Ask Tough Questions Of PUC Nominees

August 29, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

There are some indications that Clifford Rechtschaffen, one of Gov. Jerry Brown’s two latest appointments to the state Public Utilities Commission, would be more of...

State Senators Say Utility Regulators Must Restore Trust

August 29, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A California Senate panel gave narrow approval Wednesday to Gov. Jerry Brown’s two recent appointees to a powerful utilities commission after...

Senate Leader Says Brown’s Utilities Commissioners Must Face More Questions Before A Floor Vote

August 29, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

The California Senate Rules Committee voted 3 to 0 on August 23 to confirm Governor Jerry Brown’s nomination of Clifford Rechtschaffen and Martha Guzman Aceves as commissioners on...

Public Interest Groups Urge CA Senate To Deny Gov’s Point Man Confirmation To PUC After He Fired Tough Oil Well Safety Regulators & Weakened Safety Rules

August 23, 2017  ·  Carmen Balber

Sacramento, CA —  Public interest groups are urging the California Senate Rules Committee to demand answers about oil and gas well safety breaches from Governor...

Gas Injections Resume At Aliso Canyon More Than 20 Months After Massive Leak

August 1, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

Despite concerns raised by residents and Los Angeles County leaders, Southern California Gas Co. said Monday it is restarting natural gas injections at Aliso Canyon...

Governor’s Sister Kathleen Brown Makes More Than $1 Million Dollars From Sempra Board Work, And Stands To Make More, As Regulators Favor Company And Resume Injections At Aliso Canyon Gas Reserve

August 1, 2017  ·  Liza Tucker

Santa Monica, CA — Sempra shareholders have profited wildly from the favorable decisions taken by Jerry Brown’s appointees since the Governor was elected, and his...

Who Benefits From The Arbitration Rule, And Who Wants It Repealed?

July 14, 2017  ·  Mark Reback

The debate over the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s newly-issued arbitration rule is frequently billed as a fight for consumer advocacy or against byzantine bureaucracy. But behind...