Energy

California Attorney General Subpoenas Oil Refiners In Gas-Price Probe

June 30, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>State Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris has issued subpoenas to oil refiners as part of an investigation into unusually high gasoline prices in California during the last year.</p> <p>California drivers paid pump prices that have been as much as $1.50 higher than the rest of the nation since last summer.</p>

Brown, Lawmakers Plan To Reform Utility Regulator

June 28, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>SACRAMENTO >> Gov. Jerry Brown announced Monday he has reached a deal with lawmakers on proposed legislation to improve transparency and make other reforms at the embattled California Public Utilities Commission.</p>

Gov. Brown, Legislators To Shake Up State Utilities Commission

June 27, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>In a bid to end back-room deals between utility companies and their state regulators, Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders proposed a sweeping overhaul of the California Public Utilities Commission on Monday, tightening ethics rules and handing some of its powers to other agencies.</p> <p>The commission’s leaders would need to report in public any conversations with utility executives over setting utility rates. Should they fail to do so, the state’s attorney general could drag them into Superior Court and fine them.</p>

Reforms Advance For Utilities Commission

June 27, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p><b>Brown, lawmakers reach pact on transparency, accountability</b></p> <p><span itemtype="http://schema.org/NewsArticle">Gov. Jerry Brown has agreed to significant reforms at the California Public Utilities Commission, which has been under criminal investigation over the shuttered San Onofre nuclear power plant and finds itself in the middle of several other controversies.</span></p>

Could Porter Ranch Gas Leak Disrupt The Gasoline Supply?

June 16, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p class="inaugural">A potential natural gas shortage that could develop later this year due to a lack of storage capacity following the Porter Ranch gas leak could hamper the five Los Angeles area refineries that make gasoline.</p> <p>To assess the risk, the <a href="http://docketpublic.energy.ca.gov/PublicDocuments/16-IEPR-02/TN211730_20160606T155610_Notice_of_IEPR_Commissioner_Workshop_on_Transportation_Fuel_Sup.pdf">California Energy Commission is hearing from experts and the public at a workshop Friday in San Pedro</a>.</p>

Court Support for FCC Net Neutrality Rules Keeps Drawing Crowd

June 14, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p><strong><span class="brief">Groups continue to weigh in in wake of decision</span></strong></p> <p>Both sides of the debate over the FCC's network neutrality rules continued to weigh in Tuesday several hours after the Title II-based Open Internet order was <a href="http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/washington/court-upholds-fccs-net-neutrality-rules/157300" target="_blank" rel="noopener">upheld in its entirety</a> by a D.C. federal court.</p>

Refinery Outages And Delays In Torrance Repairs Cause Higher L.A. Gas Prices

June 11, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Los Angeles-area gasoline prices rose over the last week and could tick even higher as a result of unplanned refinery outages and delays in the Exxon Mobil Torrance refinery’s return to full service, fuel experts said.</p>

How Long Can California Go Without An Unplanned Refinery Outage? Enter the Contest

June 3, 2016  ·  Cody Rosenfield

<p><em><strong>Update:</strong>  The clock last reset on October 910th after an unplanned shutdown at PBF's Torrance refinery. The refinery went offline after a 25 minute power outage in Torrance.</em><br />  <br /> When refineries go down, gasoline prices go up.  That's why we started the clock on the next "unplanned" refinery outage: the Golden State Gouge-ometer.  We started keeping time when Exxon's Torrance refinery, down for more than one year, came back online 24 days ago.  <br />  </p>

Watchdog Group Shows ‘Cozy’ Emails Between State Regulators and Utility Executives

May 27, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>The Santa Monica consumer group that prompted an investigation into contacts by the top aide for Gov. Jerry Brown with regulated utilities earlier this year has built a searchable public database of thousands of internal emails to and from her former employer, Pacific Gas & Electric, as well as others.</p> <p><br /> The emails, released under the California Public Records Act and as part of the utility's response to the 2010 gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno, were posted by Consumer Watchdog on <a href="http://PUCPapers.org">PUCPapers.org</a></p>

Consumer Group Builds PUC Email Database

May 23, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<div class="story-body"> <p>The Santa Monica consumer group that prompted an investigation into Gov. Jerry Brown’s top aide’s contacts with regulated utilities earlier this year has built a searchable public database of thousands of internal emails to and from her former employer, Pacific Gas & Electric, and others.</p>

Torrance Refinery Explosion Cost California Drivers $2.4 Billion In High Pump Prices, Study Says

May 5, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<div> <p>The February 2015 explosion that shuttered the ExxonMobil plant in Torrance was the costliest disruption at a California refinery in the past 16 years, with motorists paying at least $2.4 billion in higher pump prices in the following six months, <a href="http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1400/RR1421/RAND_RR1421.pdf">according to a recent RAND study</a>.</p> <p>Soaring prices stemming from the lost gasoline supply sucked a staggering $6.9 billion from the California economy in the first six months after the explosion alone.</p>

No More Blackout Blackmail: Guest Commentary

April 29, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Recently, city leaders, including Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Gov. Jerry Brown administration energy regulators warned of “blackouts” if Aliso Canyon’s natural gas storage remains shut. They pointed to a state report, raising the blackout threat, after which Southern California Gas Co. said it would have Aliso operating again by summer.</p>