2012 | ||
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State coastal agency rejects PG&E seismic tests The vote was a major victory for environmentalists, with many openly hoping to leverage the issue to hasten Diablo Canyon's demise. The powerful commission oversees the state's 1,100-mile coastline, and the board and staff agreed the proposal -- which already won approval from the State Lands Commission -- didn't meet stringent coastal rules. |
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Tube degradation shuts both nuclear reactors Both reactors at the 2,150-megawatt San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station have been shut since January due to premature wear found on tubes in massive steam generators installed in 2010 and 2011, and operators are not saying when the units might be repaired and able to restart. |
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2011 | ||
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Links to all the news stories that hit the world the week after the 3-11 Fukushima 9.0 Tohoku quake Most of these links are still active but will soon start to disappear. Just skimming the headlines will tell you much about the world's media coverage. Following a massive burst of global coverage there has been a gradual restriction of coverage outside of Japan to the point of only a few reports a day within the US media. For people monitoring this issue on a macro level there isn't a more classical example of media management to be found in such a short time span. |
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PG&E Quietly Seeking Permission to Extend Diablo Canyon's License Pacific Gas and Electric Company is quietly seeking a 20-year extension of its license to operate the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, despite publicly requesting the process be delayed until studies of the facility's ability to withstand an earthquake are completed. The discrepancy between the company's public and private stance has led some lawmakers and environment advocates to accuse PG&E of misleading the public The Bay Citizen http://s.tt/12jrO |
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PG&E Stealth Campaign For Nuke Plant Extension (After Claiming Pause In Press Release): Comment PG&E Quietly Seeking Permission to Extend Diablo Canyon's License The utility wants the government's licensing review to proceed before seismic studies are completed The Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant... http://www.baycitizen.org/pge/story/pge-seeking-permission-extend-diablo/ |
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PG&E Exec's $34.6 Million Golden Parachute Advocates say the company's shareholders, not consumers, should have to pay PG&E's CEO Peter Darbee announced his retirement Thursday, more than six months after a deadly pipeline explosion killed eight people and left dozens of San Bruno families homeless. He will collect an estimated $34.6 million after he leaves the company on April 30. |
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Marin Energy Authority looks to future as it bids farewell to fallen leader Members of the Marin Energy Authority board this week mapped strategies for spreading the gospel of renewable energy across California and the nation as they met for the first time since losing the organization's inspirational leader, Marin County Supervisor Charles McGlashan. |
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Supervisor Charles McGlashan Dead at 49 Marin County Supervisor and Mill Valley resident Charles McGlashan, who emerged as one of the leading political forces in Marin over the past seven years, collapsed and died of an apparent heart attack Sunday |
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Rescuing 4 Children, but Struggling for Assistance Theresa Coleman took custody of her niece's neglected children, but financial aid has been hard to come by |
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2010 | ||
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Clean Energy Standards to be Redefined - Renewable Portfolio Standard Dead, for now Even renewable energy's back-up plan for federal support appears to be off the table. Expanding the definition to include nuclear and possibly carbon capture turns that into a clean energy standard (CES). The changeover in the U.S. House of Representatives will have numerous implications for renewable energy. The discussion was part of an election post-mortem webinar hosted by the law firm Chadbourne & Parke. |
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Pelosi announces opposition to Prop 16 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is against Proposition 16. Her chief of staff appeared at a news conference on the steps of city hall Sunday to announce her position. |
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PG&E Commits Facebook Identity Theft for Prop 16 I noticed that one of my friends on Facebook was a "fan" of Proposition 16 - PG&E's Monopoly Protection Act that is easily the worst measure on the June ballot. He expressed shock to even be on that page. Apparently, PG&E had added him on as a supporter without his consent. |
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Marin Clean Energy clears another hurdle The Marin Energy Authority cleared another financial hurdle to compete with PG & E, as it vies with the utility over soliciting customers & Proposition 16. |
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Proposition 16: Is two-thirds too high a bar? Editorials in newspapers around the state have come out against the ballot measure saying it would actually give customers less say about where their electricity comes from. Video report |
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$30 group fights PG&E over Prop 16 David vGoliath over Proposition 16. That initiative would make it difficult to establish local power authorities like the one that has been formed in Marin County. PG&E is spending millions to get Prop 16 passed, but a group of Bay Area opponents has come up with a low-budget plan to defeat it. $35 million, a small army of political consultants, tons of television & radio advertising, in the other corner - nothing but ambition. Video report |
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It took eight years of tough political battles, but California's Marin County finally flipped the switch on its own energy authority two weeks ago, providing customers with electricity that's largely generated from renewable sources. |
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PG&E threatened with fines over Marin Clean Energy 'Opt out' letter Marin Energy Authority managers said Friday they remain concerned about Pacific Gas and Electric's efforts to squash the Marin Clean Energy initiative, despite a threat by the California Public Utilities Commission to fine the investor-owned utility for its latest violation of state rules. |
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State threatens PG&E with fines for Marin letter A letter that Pacific Gas and Electric Co. says it sent to Marin County residents by mistake last week briefly prompted California energy regulators to threaten the giant utility with fines. |
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Proposition 16 changes rules on public power California has a long, expensive history of fighting over public power provided by government. Prop 16 would radically alter the rules of engagement. The ballot measure, funded to the tune of $35 million almost entirely by PG & E... |
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PG&E irks PUC over energy flap in Marin California regulators on Monday bluntly warned Pacific Gas and Electric Co. that some of its actions to undermine Marin County's new public power program break state rules and must end - immediately. |
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Candidates differ on issues: Adams backs green power plan, Mazzoni calls venture risky Supervisor Susan Adams and former Assemblywoman Kerry Mazzoni haven't found much to agree on in their race for the San Rafael area's seat on the Board of Supervisors. |
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Plugging in a monopoly PG & E is the sole contributor to -- and the main beneficiary of -- Prop. 16. The most important thing to know about Proposition 16 on California's June ballot is that it was written and bankrolled by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. for the benefit of PG&E. |
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PUC waited far too long to tell PG&E to back off THE SCOLDING that Pacific Gas & Electric Co. just got for its over-the-top campaign urging Marin ratepayers to opt out of the new public power authority was much deserved, if overdue. |
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'We Are Appalled,' Declared CPUC About 2004 PG&E Executive Bonus Scandal -- 'Give It Back' The lead sentence in last Friday's San Francisco Chronicle article hints at the dilemma Peter Darbee's political recklessness has created for his company & its heretofore guardian angels, the CPUC delivered a rare rebuke to PG&E, banning some of the hardball tactics the utility has used in its efforts to derail Marin County's new public power agency. |
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PG&E flips the switch on a ballot power play It was an unhappy anniversary that passed without public fanfare. But nine years ago last week, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., ravaged by the energy crisis, plunged into bankruptcy. |
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PG&E's new rates could help Marin green power JUST WHEN some might be thinking of opting out of the new Marin Energy Authority, Pacific Gas and Electric does something so dumb that the quandary for consumers is more difficult than ever. |
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PG&E must stop threats to public power agencies California energy regulators delivered a rare rebuke to Pacific Gas and Electric Co. on Thursday, banning some of the hardball tactics the utility has used in its efforts to derail Marin County's new public power agency. | ||
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CPUC reins in PG&E's advertising blitz in Marin In Marin County PG&E is being told to back off. The California Public Utilities Commission is reigning in the utility's efforts to contact its customers there. Video version |
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When do we get to have a two-thirds approval vote on PG&E's rate hike? The Chronicle's David Baker reported today that Pacific Gas & Electric Co. has proposed a new fee structure that would raise the average residential customer bill by $10.73 more each month, bringing it to a total of $88.13. |
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S.F. sues over PG&E-backed ballot measure San Francisco and a group of government-owned utilities from around California took their campaign against a Pacific Gas and Electric Co.-sponsored ballot measure to court Thursday, arguing that Proposition 16 is a power grab dressed up as an expansion of taxpayers' rights. |
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Marin energy battle plays out before state commission A PG&E spokeswoman told the California Public Utilities Commission on Tuesday that the investor-owned utility is spending millions of dollars to pass Proposition 16 because it wants to protect California taxpayers. |
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PUC listens to Proposition 16 debate Critics of a PG&E-backed ballot measure that would hamper public power efforts want California energy regulators to jump into the fray. At an unusual hearing of the California Public Utilities Commission, public officials and consumer advocates on Wednesday urged the commissioners to oppose Proposition 16. |
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Some say Prop 16 is a power grab by PG&E Depending on whom you believe, Proposition 16, a measure on the June ballot, is either a power grab by PG&E or an attempt to give voters more power. Video version |
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Prop. 16, bankrolled by PG&E, subject of lively debate Proposition 16, a statewide ballot initiative being bankrolled by PG&E, was the subject of a lively hearing Wednesday at the California Public Utilities Commission. |
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Coalition opposing Marin Clean energy has strong ties to PG&E Five mailers sent to Marin residents opposing the Marin Clean Energy initiative bear the name of the Common Sense Coalition, but in fine print the mailers all state: "This information was provided by Coalition for Reliable and Affordable Electricity, a coalition that includes Pacific Gas and Electric Co. |
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Chief justice says initiatives paralyze state California Chief Justice Ronald George escalated his criticism of the state's initiative process Friday, saying unrestrained ballot-box lawmaking is paralyzing government. While nearly half the states allow voters to enact laws, "nowhere is the practice of government by voter initiative as extreme as it is in California," the state Supreme Court's leader said in a keynote speech of a Stanford Law School conference on state constitutions. |
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PG&E reaches agreement with MCE Utility will deliver electricity for county clean-energy program |
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The Chamber of Commerce Overlooks Prop 16's Massive Drafting Errors John Geesman, a former California Energy Commissioner, has been tracking PG&E's naked power ploy, Prop 16, for a while now. You can find his writings at the PG&E Ballot Initiative Fact Sheet. In a posting from yesterday, he tears into the California Chamber of Commerce for endorsing it. Apparently, the Cal Chamber hasn't bothered to read the measure before they just sorta agreed to do PG&E's bidding. PG&E is, of course, a big contributor to the CalChamber. |
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Prop 16 is Worst Measure on June Ballot Every election cycle has an awful state ballot proposition, with plenty of corporate funding to fool voters. For the June primary, it's Prop 16 - a thinly veiled power grab by PG&E to shut down competition to keeps its monopoly. As more California cities consider providing their own energy through Community Choice Aggregation (CCA), PG&E feels threatened that consumers will finally have a choice. |
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The utility's initiative has become Proposition 16, which is written broadly to apply to all public power systems. By undermining all competition from public power agencies, it will benefit no one except PG&E and other private utilities. |
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PG&E kicks reporter out of Prop 16 debate I heard this crazy story... In a nutshell, local political consultant David Townsend-the man who got KJ elected mayor-agreed to a debate with state senator Mark Leno about the merits of Prop 16. That's the measure PG&E put on the June ballot to make it nearly impossible for public utilities like SMUD to start up or expand. The event was held at a meeting of the Northern California Power Association, which represents public power providers in California. (also see 02/03) |
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Marin Energy Authority OKs deal with Shell The Marin Energy Authority board Thursday night unanimously approved a five-year contract with Shell Energy North America, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, to supply it with the electricity it will need to compete with Pacific Gas & Electric Co. as a retailer of electricity in Marin. |
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Why PG&E fears SSJID as well as Marin County It is abundantly clear with each passing day that PG&E - a key player in plunging California into a downward spiral and helping set the stage for the recall of Gov. Gray Davis when it successfully greased politicians in Sacramento to deregulate power in the Golden State - never intended to play by the rules it helped create. |
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Bay Area county becomes state's first municipal wholesaler SAN FRANCISCO -- Marin County officials voted unanimously yesterday to become California's first community choice power aggregator in the face of staunch opposition from Pacific Gas & Electric Co. |
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Marin County to provide power, oust PG&E Marin County is poised to jump into the public power business, despite fierce opposition from Pacific Gas and Electric Co. |
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PG&E kicks press out of debate It sounded like a great story: a representative of Pacific Gas and Electric Co. agreed to a public debate over the merits of a ballot initiative the company essentially had paid to place on the California ballot. The measure seeks to curtail public power and clean energy in the state. And so far, PG&E has been loathe to discuss it in any open forum. |
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Palo Alto votes to oppose PG&E-backed ballot measure What Pacific Gas & Electric calls the "Taxpayers Right to Vote Act," Palo Alto officials are calling a power play by the utility company to stifle competition from the public sector. The city council voted 9-0 Monday night to pass a resolution opposing Proposition 16... |
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PG&E ballot initiative comes under scrutiny Pacific Gas & Electric Company's statewide ballot initiative, which the utility calls The Taxpayer's Right to Vote Act, has attracted criticism in a few editorials since the company sank millions into gathering enough signatures to qualify it for the ballot. |
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Marin Energy Authority hashes out details of clean energy plan Marin Energy Authority board members said Monday they plan to set their "light green" rates - which would provide electricity that is 25 percent from renewable sources - at the same cost that Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is charging. |
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PG&E spending millions to block local utilities PG&E is spending millions of dollars on a statewide initiative that would make it tougher for you to get your power from anyone else. The initiative, one of several appearing on the June 8 ballot, would require two-thirds approval from local voters before cities or counties could choose an alternate energy provider. |
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Ross backs out of Marin Energy Authority Ross this week became the only Marin County municipality to reverse field & back out of the Marin Energy Authority, which plans to provide electric power from sustainable sources to county ratepayers by this summer.... Councilman Scot Hunter was the swing vote in a 3-2 decision to opt out of the new joint powers authority, which received an initial commitment from the town last year. |
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Marin Energy Authority considers discounts in return for loan guarantees The county of Marin and the Marin Municipal Water District could get access to 100 percent renewable power at discounted prices in return for co-signing a $1.6 million loan enabling the Marin Clean Energy initiative to begin operations. |
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San Anselmo reaffirms vows to Marin Energy Authority Jeff Kroot emphasized that he is a supporter of sustainability efforts - even saying he owns a hybrid vehicle - but then said he would vote to opt out of San Anselmo's commitment to the upstart Marin Energy Authority. |
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Marin DA seeking answers in grand jury whodunit How did a copy of a civil grand jury report that slammed the Marin Energy Authority's plan to compete with Pacific Gas and Electric Co. got into the hands of PG&E and other critics before its official release last month. |
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Mill Valley on board with energy initiative After a marathon public hearing that ended early Tuesday morning, the Mill Valley City Council reaffirmed its desire to remain involved with the Marin Clean Energy initiative. |
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San Rafael remains in county energy alliance The council unanimously reaffirmed its participation in Marin Clean Energy, an initiative of the Marin Energy Authority that would compete with Pacific Gas & Electric Co. |
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Women's Energy Matters advocates for YOU the ratepayer at the CPUC for Clean energy, Healthy food, & Caring communities and Leading the fight for Community Choice Aggregation access to Energy Efficiency funds
