Energy

Energy and utility watchdog coverage — gas prices, oil-industry profits, utility rates, and clean-energy accountability.

Consumer Group Accuses Refiners Of Keeping California Gasoline Prices Unusually High

August 4, 2016 · Mark Reback

A consumer advocacy group accused oil refiners of intentionally keeping California’s gasoline prices higher than in the rest of the nation to bolster profits, despite growing inventories and falling wholesale prices. Consumer Watchdog argued Thursday that per-gallon pump prices should be lower than the current $2.69 statewide average — $2.72 in the Los Angeles area — about 60 cents higher than the nationwide average, as measured by the AAA daily price survey.

CA Oil Refiners Pump Up Profits Through Lowest Wholesale Gasoline Price in USA And Highest Retail Prices; Refinery CEO Investor Comments Points To Market Rigging

August 4, 2016 · Jamie Court

Santa Monica, CA – Consumer Watchdog pointed today to big new California oil profit reports, gasoline pricing data and a candid remark from a refinery...

Torrance Oil Refinery Scoffs At Consumer Group’s ‘Smoking Gun’ Claim On Gasoline Price Fixing

August 4, 2016 · Mark Reback

<div> A nonprofit group that has repeatedly accused the oil industry of collusion to keep gasoline prices high in California reiterated that charge Thursday, pointing to new earnings reports, price data and remarks made by PBF Energy, the owner of the Torrance refinery. Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog, said the Santa Monica-based group would provide the evidence it collected to the state Attorney General’s Office, which is investigating possible manipulation of California pump prices.

Brown’s Dirty Hands

August 1, 2016 · Liza Tucker

Governor Jerry Brown paints himself a foe of climate change. But an exhaustive review of company donations, publicly released emails and documents at http://www.PUCPapers.org, and...

Wholesale California Gasoline Prices Plunge, Consumers Still Pay Up

July 29, 2016 · Mark Reback

Wholesale gasoline in California became the cheapest in the country this week, but that change has largely gone unseen at the pump, where consumers are still paying the highest prices in the continental United States to fill up their cars. Ample inventories along with relatively stable refinery operations and imports has driven down the spot value of gasoline in Los Angeles at the wholesale level by more than 60 cents since mid-June.

Tesla: Autopilot Was Not Engaged In Pa. Crash

July 15, 2016 · Mark Reback

Autopilot was not the cause of an accident involving a Southfield art gallery owner earlier this month in Pennsylvania, according to Tesla Motor Inc. CEO Elon Musk. The head of the Palo Alto, California-based electric vehicle manufacturer tweeted Thursday afternoon that “Onboard vehicle logs show Autopilot was turned off” in Albert Scaglione’s 2016 Model X when it crashed and rolled over on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. “Moreover,” Musk tweeted, “crash would not have occurred if it was on.”

Integrated Electrical Grid Could Save Consumers, Businesses $1.5 Billion Annually, Report Finds

July 12, 2016 · Mark Reback

By tying together multiple independent electrical grids in the West, California could meet its goal of generating 50 percent of its energy from renewable sources and save consumers and businesses up to $1.5 billion a year by 2030, according to a new report. The report was released by the Folsom-based California Independent System Operator, which manages about 80 percent of the electric grid in California.

Study Says Expansion Of California’s Electric Grid Would Lower Rates

July 12, 2016 · Mark Reback

The manager of the state’s electric grid released studies Tuesday that show its proposed expansion would yield annual consumer savings of as much as $1.5 billion by 2030 and help with the state’s goal of 50% renewable energy by then. The California Independent System Operator, which produced the nearly 700 pages of reports under a mandate by state lawmakers, said expanding its operations to include more Western states would result in a more efficient electric grid system.

State Attorney General Investigating Potential Price Collusion By Oil Producers

July 11, 2016 · Mark Reback

California’s top prosecutor is investigating whether major oil refiners defrauded consumers by colluding to boost gas prices above what the rest of the country paid last year after the shutdown of the ExxonMobil refinery. The inquiry by Attorney General Kamala Harris comes in the wake of a report by the nonprofit group Consumer Watchdog that accused refiners of improperly hiding market data and blocking imports that would have stabilized soaring gas prices after the 15-month shutdown at ExxonMobil in Torrance.

State Investigating Why Californians Pay More For Gas

July 11, 2016 · Mark Reback

Elon Musk Tweet Hints About Tesla ‘Master Plan’

July 11, 2016 · Mark Reback

Facing increased scrutiny recently about the safety of the Autopilot feature on his company's cars, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk over the weekend hinted at a coming announcement about a "Top Secret Tesla Masterplan, Part 2." Tesla Motors' original master plan was detailed by Musk in a 2006 blog post describing his goal to "help expedite the move from a mine-and-burn hydrocarbon economy towards a solar electric economy." In a tweet yesterday morning, Musk said he hoped to publish an update to the plan "later this week."

Tesla Motors, Inc.: Consumer Watchdog Wants Autopilot Feature DisabledïÂ»Â¿

July 11, 2016 · Mark Reback

Consumer Watchdog sends a letter to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, saying that the Autopilot should be disabled as it is not safe for the roads