Energy

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

Report: Midwest Gas Prices Would Rise If Keystone Pipeline Is Built

July 16, 2013 · Mark Reback

The Keystone XL pipeline, if built, would cause gas prices in the Kansas City area and the rest of the Midwest to rise by as much as 40 cents per gallon, according to a report being released Tuesdayday by a consumer group. Consumer Watchdog, a California group that has released numerous reports over the years about the petroleum industry, claims the pipeline will restrict oil supplies in the U.S. as exporting to other countries picks up. The result: rising oil prices with the ripple effect extending to gas and diesel prices.

Report: Keystone XL Pipeline Will Raise Gas Prices, Hurt Economy

July 15, 2013 · Mark Reback

Consumer Watchdog released a groundbreaking report today that asks and answers the following question: What economic effect will the Keystone XL oil pipeline have on U.S. drivers and the U.S. economy as a whole?

It’s Free To Breathe, But Air Comes With A Price At Gas Stations

July 4, 2013 · Mark Reback

We breathe it every second of every day. It is available free all around us in the atmosphere. Yet many gas stations in California still charge customers up to $1.50 to inflate their tires with air, despite a little-known 1999 law that requires them to provide free air and water to customers who have purchased gasoline. Many drivers don’t know they are entitled to free air and water when they buy gasoline, and they end up paying extra for the service, consumer advocates say.

Exemption for California PUC Chief Stalls Budget Finalization

June 20, 2013 · Mark Reback

SACRAMENTO -- Under a provision tucked into budget legislation by the state Senate, the president of the California Public Utilities Commission would be exempt from a proposal intended to prevent commissioners from spending agency-related funds that receive less public oversight. A dispute over the proposal pits the two houses of the Legislature against each other and threatens to hold up other measures aimed at increasing scrutiny of the commission, which regulates the energy, telecommunications and transportation industries.

Google’s Wind Plan: Evidence of Global Reach

June 15, 2013 · Mark Reback

Google plans to corner the wind energy market in New Jersey. It’s a first-of-its kind venture that could cost Google and its partners $1.3 billion, but one Google believes fits its core mission: You can make money without doing evil.

Lawmakers Adopt DTSC Haz-Waste Fee Reform In Secret Budget Deal

June 14, 2013 · Mark Reback

State lawmakers this week approved a revised budget proposal by the toxics department to reform the agency's hazardous waste fee structure after the department, lawmakers and the governor's office hammered out an agreement behind closed doors, sources say. Some observers are blasting the way lawmakers and the department have handled negotiations on the fee reform, arguing they negotiated in private with little transparency, despite potential major economic impacts to industries.

Toxic Regulation Agency Fails to Collect $185 Million, Audit Expected

June 6, 2013 · Mark Reback

The California agency in charge of toxic regulation announced last Thursday that it had failed to collect $185 million in repayments owed by polluters. The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has since come under fire from <a href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/newsrelease/consumer-watchdog-requests-financial-audit-after-toxics-regulator-reveals-185-million-un">Consumer Watchdog</a>, who has called for a comprehensive financial audit of DTSC by the California State Auditor.

Calderon Ties To Water District May Be Part Of FBI Investigation

June 5, 2013 · Mark Reback

Sources say federal investigators asked about legislator Ronald S. Calderon's ties to the Central Basin Municipal Water District. SACRAMENTO — Ronald S. Calderon's knack for raising campaign cash and collecting gifts has attracted attention, often unwanted, since he arrived in Sacramento more than a decade ago. Now the Democratic state senator finds himself in the sights of federal investigators.

California Consumers Doomed to High Gas Prices as Feds & State Bless Tesoro Purchase of BP Refinery & ARCO Stations

May 17, 2013 · Liza Tucker

Purchase of BP’s big refinery in Carson complies with anti-trust laws means over time gas prices will go up in the state

DTSC Second-in-Command Steps Down

May 13, 2013 · Mark Reback

The state toxic department’s chief deputy director relinquishes role weeks after NBC Bay Area investigation A key leader at the <a href="http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/">Department of Toxic Substances Control</a> has stepped down from her post just weeks after the Investigative Unit uncovered a stock portfolio full of investments into companies her department oversees.

Lessons (Not) Learned From the Chevron Fire

April 10, 2013 · Liza Tucker

<img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-2628" alt="" class="right" src="https://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/images_chevron_refinery_fire_0.png" style="width: 211px; height: 141px; margin-left: 7px; margin-right: 7px; float: right; " width="641" height="428" />On Friday, federal accident investigators told California legislators that the state’s patchwork of oil industry regulations needs a serious overhaul. The Chevron fire that produced a toxic cloud and sent 15,000 people to the hospital could have been prevented, but the system was reactive and not designed to foresee and forestall problems, said the U.S. Chemical Safety Board. Duh.

Consumer Watchdog Presses For Investigation Of Two State Officials

March 15, 2013 · Mark Reback

<a href="http://www.kpbs.org/news/2013/mar/15/consumer-watchdog-press-investigation-two-state-of/">Click here to listen to the audio of this radio broadcast</a>. SAN DIEGO — Consumer Watchdog is not convinced that Chief Deputy Director Odette Madriago and Deputy Director Stewart Black are clear of conflict-of-interest violations. They want an outside agency to look into the allegations.