PG&E Should Pay $1.4 Billion for San Bruno Blast: Judges

[dixiegrrrrl]

Let's see how this actually turns out...

PG&E Corp. (PCG), owner of California’s largest utility, should pay a $1.4 billion penalty for a deadly 2010 natural gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno, two state regulatory judges said in a proposed decision.

The fine would be the largest safety-related penalty ever levied by the agency, the California Public Utilities Commission said in an e-mailed statement today. The penalty consists of $950 million that would be paid to the state and $450 million in charges and remedies that shareholders would have to pay. Added to a prior ruling that forced the company to swallow $635 million in pipeline modernization costs, the total would be $2.04 billion. The agency’s five commissioners must still approve the proposal and can offer alternatives.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-02/pg-e-should-pay-1-4-billion-for-san-bruno-blast-judges.html

Anyone here know how stacked the Commission is????

[NYC_SKP]

1. "Stacked"? The CPUC isn't particularly stacked.

They are appointed for six year terms by governors, and have to be approved by the Senate.

All five have been appointed by Jerry Brown and approved by the State Senate:

Their bios are available here: http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/aboutus/Commissioners/

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I hope they consider the impact on ratepayers in whatever conclusions they reach.

They can't, for example, rule that just to punish them PG&E should have to provide energy for free or some stupid shit like that.

Costs on any industry have consequences, and customers usually end up paying the price.

[Tansy_Gold]

2. The question has to be asked, however,

If ratepayers enjoyed lower rates over the past X number of years due to PG&E not maintaining the infrastructure. If they actually benefited through artificially -- and dangerously -- lower rates, then perhaps it is appropriate that they do foot the bill.

Likewise the shareholders, who pocketed higher dividends that should rightfully have gone into repairs and maintenance.

[NYC_SKP]

3. It's a good question. In fact, per recent hearing, proposed gas rate hikes requested....

...are at a 2:1 matching rate; for every dollar requested in rate hike, shareholders have to put up two.

This seems reasonable to me.

http://www.energy.ca.gov/calendar/index.php?eID=2150

I also understand and welcome Time of Use rates and Tiered pricing, as these encourage moderating generation from cleaner and cheaper sources.

Oh, Smart Meters, too. I love these and I use my energy dashboard.

I love arguing with Freepers about meters, they're so beligerant and ignorant. Supply and demand baby, but on an hourly basis, you'd think they would understand that.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. Doubly has to be asked, Tansy..

I was in Cal. when Enron bilked the state over the energy "crisis".
There is a long history of state wide and city/local scams, frauds, skims, just as in other states.