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bananas

(27,509 posts)
Fri Oct 2, 2015, 04:39 PM Oct 2015

State utility regulator re-examines secret meetings

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2015/sep/30/citylights-california-utility-drop-secret-meetings/

State utility regulator re-examines secret meetings

Don’t expect big changes yet

By Don Bauder, Sept. 30, 2015

By now, savvy folks know that the California Public Utilities Commission has to clean up its act — thoroughly. Commissioners and staff members used illegal, back-channel communications with Southern California Edison to fleece ratepayers over costs of closing the San Onofre nuclear plant. Similarly, commission members were secretly helping Pacific Gas and Electric in its attempt to get a light penalty for its negligence leading to the 2010 San Bruno gas pipeline explosion that killed eight people and incinerated a neighborhood.

<snip>

“Strumwasser wrote a good report,” says Bill Powers of San Diego’s Powers Engineering. “It shows how the formal decision-making process is corrupted by the free-wheeling heavy hitters, the utilities. The system is stacked against the little guy, and the only defense for the little guy is sunlight” — openness, transparency.

<snip>

Loretta Lynch, former president of the commission, says the regulatory body now is a “corrupt, co-opted agency that makes decisions behind closed doors.” It “does what it wants” no matter what administrative law judges say. For example, the commission is spending more than $5 million on attorneys to represent the commission in state and federal investigations. But an indictment of a state agency is out of the question. Thus, she asks, “Is the (commission) trying to help Peevey by hiring criminal defense lawyers? Are they impeding the investigations?”

<snip>

The so-called reform attempts “don’t attack the core problem, which is utilities providing funding to the decision makers — free trips, dinners, contributions, employment opportunities down the road,” says Mike Aguirre, San Diego attorney who is fighting the predations of Edison and the commission. He says that O’Neill calls the use of the defective parts at San Onofre an accident that can’t be blamed on anyone. “The steam generators failed in a year. They were supposed to last 40 years. Nobody’s fault?” The report is “pabulum and tranquilizers.

<snip>


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State utility regulator re-examines secret meetings (Original Post) bananas Oct 2015 OP
Want a glimpse behind the scenes at another utility? kristopher Oct 2015 #1
All over the country, especially in the south and west, places with abundant mpcamb Oct 2015 #2

kristopher

(29,798 posts)
1. Want a glimpse behind the scenes at another utility?
Fri Oct 2, 2015, 07:29 PM
Oct 2015

It involves Arizona's main utility's ongoing effort to block solar by charging a solar user fee. Here are the main points listed at the beginning of the article:

Arizona Public Service filed a request last Friday to withdraw its its proposed $21 grid access fee if the state's utility regulators continue hearings on cost-of-service analysis for distributed solar.

APS's move follows complaints from two former commissioners and solar advocates earlier this month that alleged bias against rooftop solar from three sitting commissioners on the Arizona Corporation Commission.

In its filing, APS criticized The Alliance For Solar Choice (TASC) and other solar advocates for their latest "aggressive display of political gamemanship" aimed at discrediting the elected commissioners.

APS said its request to withdraw its "motion to reset" the grid access fee hinges on part over the commission's ability to "promptly schedule" hearings to investigate the value of distributed solar in time for its 2016 rate case.


Buried deeper though, we find this:
Among the allegations was that two commissioners, Doug Little and Tom Forese, accepted $3.2 million in "dark money" from non-profits supposedly tied to APS. APS has neither confirmed or denied the allegations. Commissioner Bob Stump has been accused of bias based on negative remarks about rooftop solar made to media outlets.
http://www.utilitydive.com/news/aps-withdraws-controversial-solar-grid-fee-request/406354/

A $3.2 million dollar bribe for 2 votes.

mpcamb

(2,856 posts)
2. All over the country, especially in the south and west, places with abundant
Fri Oct 2, 2015, 09:28 PM
Oct 2015

sun, the utilities are resisting solar and cheaper energy for costly, less efficient sources.
The more the plants cost, the more money in play, the more debt that they run up ( that can and will be billed to customers) will guaranteed a profit for years to come.

No wonder they want to do it in private. That kind of business doesn't look good in the light of day.

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