Energy

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

Keystone XL: Oil Industry Cash Machine

December 6, 2015 · Judy Dugan

“[I]t is a strategic imperative, it is in Alberta’s interest, in Canada’s interest, that we get access to tidewater... to diversify away from the single continental market and be part of the global market.”

L.A. Motorists Are Paying 75 Cents More Than U.S. Average For A Gallon Of Gas

December 2, 2015 · Mark Reback

Much of the nation is paying $2 or less for a gallon of regular gasoline for the first time since spring 2009. But in California, drivers are shelling out significantly more — and the price gap has gotten wider in recent weeks. The Los Angeles area has been hit particularly hard. L.A. motorists are paying an average price that is 75 cents a gallon more than the national average, compared with a 30-cent difference a year earlier. Fuel experts attribute the increased disparity largely to refinery outages.

Why Rooftop Solar Advocates Are Upset About California’s Clean-Energy Law

November 29, 2015 · Mark Reback

California's aggressive push to increase renewable energy production comes with a catch for people with solar panels on the roof: You don't count. If a home or business has a rooftop solar system, most of the wattage isn't included in the ambitious requirement to generate half of the state's electricity from renewable sources such as solar and wind by 2030, part of legislation signed in October by Gov. Jerry Brown.

Why California Drivers Pay Highest Gas Prices

November 19, 2015 · Mark Reback

EDITORIAL: For DWP Ratepayer Advocate, Tim To Switch On The Power

November 18, 2015 · Mark Reback

The Department of Water and Power’s ratepayer advocate is more than halfway through his five-year term as the first occupant of the office created to give the public an ear and a voice at the giant utility. Are DWP customers being heard louder than before? Is the DWP less mysterious? Most would say no, and in that sense the recent criticism of ratepayer advocate Fred Pickel and his Office of Public Accountability is justified.

EDITORIAL: L.A. Needs Its DWP Ratepayer Advocate To Speak Up

November 17, 2015 · Mark Reback

In 2011, when Angelenos were considering a ballot measure to create a "ratepayer advocate" to monitor the Department of Water and Power, the Times editorial board endorsed the idea, with a caveat. We said the advocate should be a well-regarded professional with deep expertise in utility operations, not a populist bomb thrower solely interested in blocking rate increases. And that's exactly what Los Angeles got in Fred Pickel — for better and worse.

Only 1 Californian Got Custom Oil Map – Brown

November 13, 2015 · Mark Reback

State officials have defended Gov. Jerry Brown's request to have regulators map and study his family's ranch for oil, gas and mining potential — arguing that the work by the state was nothing the agency wouldn't do for other members of the public.