Reform

Responding to a request from The Utility Reform Network (TURN), a utility consumer advocate, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) earlier this month kicked off an investigation of Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s billing and collection practices that could ultimately result in refunds or fines for the utility. The five-member CPUC ordered the probe at its last business meeting.

Responding to a request from The Utility Reform Network (TURN), a utility consumer advocate, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) earlier this month kicked off an investigation of Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s billing and collection practices that could ultimately result in refunds or fines for the utility. The five-member CPUC ordered the probe at its last business meeting.

Sempra Energy Thursday came out swinging in response to a challenge of its LNG plans by two consumer groups, The Utility Reform Network (TURN) and Rayepayers for Affordable Clean Energy (RACE). The groups are disputing a California Public Utilities Commission decision to allow Sempra’s two Southern California utilities to establish a joint receipt point for liquefied natural gas (LNG) or other supplies flowing north from Mexico (see NGI, Sept. 6, Sept. 13).

Sempra Energy Thursday came out swinging in response to a challenge of its LNG plans by two consumer groups, The Utility Reform Network (TURN) and Rayepayers for Affordable Clean Energy (RACE). The groups are disputing a California Public Utilities Commission decision to allow Sempra’s two Southern California utilities to establish a joint receipt point for liquefied natural gas (LNG) or other supplies flowing north from Mexico (see Daily GPI, Oct. 14).

Rep. Doug Ose (R-CA), chairman of the House Government Reform Committee’s subcommittee on energy policy, recommended last Tuesday that FERC and the U.S. Coast Guard develop a “programmatic template” so that companies interested in developing liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects would know exactly what is required of them to achieve agency approval and swift processing. He also supported the concept of the Commission picking the most preferable sites for the location of onshore LNG facilities.

Rep. Doug Ose (R-CA), chairman of the House Government Reform Committee’s subcommittee on energy policy, recommended Tuesday that FERC and the U.S. Coast Guard develop a “programmatic template” so that companies interested in developing liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects would know exactly what is required of them to achieve agency approval and swift processing. He also supported the concept of the Commission picking the most preferable sites for the location of onshore LNG facilities.

Acknowledging that the energy policy recommendations he released last week are aimed more at federal than state jurisdictions, California’s Attorney General Bill Lockyer Thursday told a state Senate energy committee that he is prepared to continue the legal fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to change what he characterized as “antiquated” federal energy statutes and inadequate FERC enforcement.

While California’s utility watchdog, The Utility Reform Network, called PG&E’s $800 million rate cut last week for electric utility customers “a long way from fair,” utility customers still will be looking their first rate cut since before the 2000-2001 electricity crisis.

The Utility Reform Network (TURN), California’s largest utility watchdog group, Friday reached beyond U.S. borders to side with Bolivians revolting against their government, partially in protest to a project designed to export LNG to North America.