Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

US Consumer Spending Falls as Trump Tariff’s Muddle Economy

23 hours ago

US Supreme Court Lets Parents Take Kids Out of Classes With LGBT Storybooks

1 day ago

In Win for Trump, US Supreme Court Limits Judges’ Power to Block Birthright Citizenship Order

1 day ago

California’s Newsom Sues Fox News for $787 Million for Defamation Over Trump Call

1 day ago

Motorcycle Collides With Tractor in Fatal Fresno County Collision

1 day ago

Fourth of July Celebrations Begin Saturday. Here’s Your Fresno Area Guide

1 day ago

Bill Moyers, Broadcaster and LBJ’s White House Press Secretary, Dies at 91

2 days ago

State Department Approves $30 Million for Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

2 days ago

Cargo Ship That Caught Fire Carrying Electric Vehicles Sinks in the Pacific

2 days ago

4 Million Acres of California Forests Could Lose Protection. What Trump’s ‘Roadless Rule’ Repeal Could Do

3 days ago
Opinion: Valley Should Not Be Held Captive to PG&E Failures
Opinion
By Opinion
Published 6 years ago on
October 16, 2019

Share

The residents of the Central Valley are faced with a utility service company that, in the past two decades, has become a tax collector forced to be under the protection of the federal bankruptcy court for the second time.
In this situation, debtors and sophisticated investors seek to game the court proceedings to maximize their monetary gains, leaving Central Valley ratepayers on the hook due to their captive situation.
In that sense, these sophisticated classes will “put” burdens on the Central Valley ratepayers bound by contract to be either price takers — victims of some scheme to pick off the premium rate base — or exiters, all increasing PG&E’s customer’s rates.


Opinion
Michael Turnipseed

Utility Rates Punish Central Valley

The California Public Utilities Commission should give significant weight to our plea seeking a reasonable outcome that can prevent both the economic failure of the Central Valley ratepayers and future business failure of our energy provider.
Many things, not typical of a standard general rate case, are in play. Our interest here is to return some focus to the CPUC and other governing bodies concerning fairness and balance in this steady shift: from the rational single average rate (which served us until 2001) to the various synthetic sliding scale pricing structures (Time of Use and Tiers), all of which disproportionately punish the Central Valley ratepayers whose disposable income “wealth” is far below the PG&E service territory average.

We at KernTax are intervening in PG&E’s current general rate case at the CPUC and want to see a robust utility service that can meet our current needs and prepare well in advance for future challenges while providing reasonable costs.
Central Valley ratepayers will suffer future erosion of reliable service at the expense of poor decisions on the part of the CPUC and other governing decision-makers who are answerable to parties other than the Central Valley ratepayer. Further, we are concerned that the random entanglements stemming from efforts to transform PG&E using the outdated regulatory process which repeatedly has lead to failure, the cost of which Central Valley ratepayers disproportionately bear.

Seeking Robust Service and Reasonable Costs

We at KernTax are intervening in PG&E’s current general rate case at the CPUC and want to see a robust utility service that can meet our current needs and prepare well in advance for future challenges while providing reasonable costs.
We want to see an outcome that supports our unique position of energy sources.
We don’t accept the CPUC assessment of impacts to the community based on a service area-wide average; we know we receive much more substantial cost increases in the Central Valley.

Lessons from Neighboring Utilities

Sacramento Municipal Utility District, as an example, has a winter off-peak rate of $0.0969/kWh, and its peak is $0.1611/kWh and is solvent. Turlock Irrigation District, as another example, has an off-peak rate of $.1016/kWh, and its peak rate is $.1436/kWh; yet they, too, are solvent and whole. In fact, SMUD’s rates are 35% lower than PG&E’s.
The CPUC has redefined the IOU into what they believe is a “good company” performing to the whims concerning social good. The Office of Ratepayer Advocates has effectively abdicated its responsibility to Central Valley ratepayers.
How much Central Valley resident “wealth” will the CPUC force PG&E’s utility employees to process before PG&E can perform like a “good company” and can the average Central Valley resident survive this Ponzi-like cash flow solution to poor area-wide planning? We believe that the CPUC has become a taxing authority and has relegated IOUs to be its tax collectors.
Michael Turnipseed is executive director of Kern County Taxpayers Association.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

I Detest Netanyahu, but on Some Things He’s Actually Right

DON'T MISS

University of Virginia President Resigns Under Pressure From Trump Administration

DON'T MISS

How Did the Supreme Court Rule? Here’s a Look at the Big Cases

DON'T MISS

Mamdani’s NYC Primary Win Sparks Surge in Anti-Muslim Posts, Advocates Say

DON'T MISS

Trump Sends in DOGE to Slash Federal Gun Regulations by July 4

DON'T MISS

Tensions Flare at Announcement of Major Fresno County Gang Takedown

DON'T MISS

Measure C ‘Blackmailed’ As Fresno Enviro Coalition Gets Huge Say on Transportation Tax

DON'T MISS

Despite $49M Deficit, Fresno Unified Gives Top Brass 5% Raise, 3% One-Time Bonus

DON'T MISS

US Consumer Spending Falls as Trump Tariff’s Muddle Economy

DON'T MISS

US Supreme Court Preserves Key Element of Obamacare

UP NEXT

Much of LA’s Community of Immigrants Is Hiding, Leaving a Hole in the Fabric of the City

UP NEXT

Things Netanyahu Might Say if Injected With Truth Serum

UP NEXT

California Politicians Ignore Ag’s Troubles, but Boost Movie Business

UP NEXT

Trump’s Courageous and Correct Decision to Bomb Iran

UP NEXT

How the Attacks on Iran Are Part of a Much Bigger Global Struggle

UP NEXT

Groceries Are Now a Luxury. So Is Breathing.

UP NEXT

California Politicians Agree on School Money, but Poor Test Scores Need Attention

UP NEXT

Sen. Alex Padilla: This Is How an Administration Acts When It’s Afraid

UP NEXT

Bay Area Transit Systems Want More Money. But Their Payrolls Soared as Ridership Declined

UP NEXT

History Suggests the GOP Will Pay a Political Price for Its Immigration Tactics in California

Mamdani’s NYC Primary Win Sparks Surge in Anti-Muslim Posts, Advocates Say

5 hours ago

Trump Sends in DOGE to Slash Federal Gun Regulations by July 4

20 hours ago

Tensions Flare at Announcement of Major Fresno County Gang Takedown

20 hours ago

Measure C ‘Blackmailed’ As Fresno Enviro Coalition Gets Huge Say on Transportation Tax

21 hours ago

Despite $49M Deficit, Fresno Unified Gives Top Brass 5% Raise, 3% One-Time Bonus

21 hours ago

US Consumer Spending Falls as Trump Tariff’s Muddle Economy

23 hours ago

US Supreme Court Preserves Key Element of Obamacare

1 day ago

US Supreme Court Lets Parents Take Kids Out of Classes With LGBT Storybooks

1 day ago

Fresno Unified Trustees Will Get Automatic Raises on Tuesday

1 day ago

Alleged ‘Fake’ ICE Agents Charged. Fresno Court Date Set

1 day ago

I Detest Netanyahu, but on Some Things He’s Actually Right

Like a lot of people of center-right/center-left political leanings, I’ve spent the past few decades detesting Prime Minister Benjamin Netan...

3 hours ago

2022 Election Rally for Netanyahu
3 hours ago

I Detest Netanyahu, but on Some Things He’s Actually Right

University of Virginia President James Ryan Resigns
3 hours ago

University of Virginia President Resigns Under Pressure From Trump Administration

4 hours ago

How Did the Supreme Court Rule? Here’s a Look at the Big Cases

Zohran Mamdani Speaks to Supporters
5 hours ago

Mamdani’s NYC Primary Win Sparks Surge in Anti-Muslim Posts, Advocates Say

American Flag Revolver
20 hours ago

Trump Sends in DOGE to Slash Federal Gun Regulations by July 4

Rob_Bonta_Speaking_At_Press_Conference_1280x720
20 hours ago

Tensions Flare at Announcement of Major Fresno County Gang Takedown

Garry_Bredefeld_Sandra_Celedon_Mesure_C_1280x720
21 hours ago

Measure C ‘Blackmailed’ As Fresno Enviro Coalition Gets Huge Say on Transportation Tax

Fresno_Unified_Raises_1280x720
21 hours ago

Despite $49M Deficit, Fresno Unified Gives Top Brass 5% Raise, 3% One-Time Bonus

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend