Is this an image from the charred remains of all those houses that the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers / PG&E burned down in San Mateo County not too long ago? It sure could be, why not?
James Franco, 53 and “Janessa, 13, and Jacqueline Greig, 44; Elizabeth Torres, 81; Jessica Morales, 20, as well three member of the Bullis family — Greg, 50, Will, 17, and Lavonne, 87 “
Here’s the thing, PG&E. Everybody has the right to opt out of PublicPowerSF. So that’s why it’s not going to “nearly double electric generation costs.”
Not everybody in Chinatown is an easily cowed, easily herded stencil voter, right? Consumers will make their own choice – you don’t think that they’re all stupid, do you?
And actually, San Francisco is kind of a hippy town, filled with yuppie-types who will not opt out of public power.
But, of course, if people don’t want to pay extra for juice, they won’t.
It’s as simple as that.
BTW, you all should prolly ID the white Republican lawyer you’re quoting in the ‘Xam here. Otherwise it makes things look like the entire Examiner is agin public power.
Hey PG&E! Are you going to end up turning a profit on the killing of those eight people down in San Bruno?
You remember them, right? The eight people you killed?
Thusly:
Click to expand
Hey is San Francisco shadow-Mayor Willie Brown still on PG&E’s payroll?
Sure, why not?
And hey, is the leader of the San Francisco Democrat party still on PG&E’s payroll?
Again, sure, why not?
Is that a good thing?
Oh well.
Here’s today’s happy talk from your energy monopoly:
“PG&E Rates to Change Modestly at Start Of 2013
Gas Rates Will Dip, Electric Rates Will Rise in Line with Inflation to Pay for Enhanced Safety, Reliability and Clean-Energy Programs
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) said today that with the start of the new year, residential customers will see a significant decline in natural gas rates, and a modest increase in electric rates to cover the utility’s costs of maintaining and modernizing its system and of meeting a state mandate to buy more renewable energy. (See table below for average estimated bill impacts.)
PG&E’s average rates for residential gas customers will dip in January almost six percent compared to January 2012, thanks in part to lower wholesale costs for gas. However, customers should expect an increase in gas rates of about two percent as early as February, reflecting spending approved this month by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for PG&E’s Pipeline Safety Enhancement Plan. This plan, one of the most aggressive and comprehensive gas pipeline modernization programs in the United States, will help PG&E achieve its goal of operating the safest and most reliable natural gas system in the country.
Average residential electric rates will increase about 2.6 percent system-wide compared to last January, close to the rate of inflation in Northern California. The increase is driven primarily by higher costs for acquiring clean, renewable energy to meet state mandates, and by spending previously approved by the CPUC for operating, maintaining and upgrading PG&E’s electric generation and distribution systems. Thanks to such upgrades, electric customers recently experienced the lowest rate of outages in the utility’s history.
Customers will likely face another electric rate increase this May of about two percent to pay for additional electric transmission infrastructure to modernize California’s power grid and deliver more renewable energy to customers.
“We know our customers care more than ever about their energy bills during these difficult economic times, so we continue to focus on keeping rate increases as modest as possible while raising enough revenue to continue improving our safety and reliability,” said Tom Bottorff, Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for PG&E. “These revenues help us serve customers by reducing the frequency of electrical outages, improving the responsiveness of our call centers, providing more convenient services and, above all, continuing to upgrade the safety of our gas and electric operations. Although electric and gas rates fluctuate from year to year, our average customer bills remain well below the national average.”
Bottorff added, “We try to empower all of our customers with tools to help them better understand and manage their energy needs so they can control their bills and make the best use of our services.”
SmartMeter-enabled online tools like MyEnergy, money-saving programs like Winter Gas Savings, rebates for energy-efficient appliances and home retrofits, and bill payment options make it easier than ever for customers the get more value for their money.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to 15 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit http://www.pge.com/about/newsroom/.
Last week I saw banner ads from IBEW 1245, you know, the People Who Brought Us The San Bruno Pipeline Explosion, but at first I wasn’t able to click on them and then when I was able to, all I could find were recently-deceased FaceBook webpages, as if some people had posted something* and then changed their minds.
IBEW Local 1245 launched a “Shell Shock” campaign on Sept. 10 to highlight the spike in energy costs and potentially disastrous consequences that a contract between San Francisco and Shell would bring.
San Francisco city government is considering a proposal to partner with Shell Energy of North America to inaugurate the city’s so-called “clean power” program. If the Board of Supervisors approves the proposal, San Francisco would pay millions to Shell, one of the most notorious environmental violators in business today.
According to the City’s Controller, if the San Francisco Shell Shock contract goes through:
Our local economy would take a multi-million dollar hit.
“Raising generation rates by 77% would Shell Shock San Franciscans,” said Hunter Stern, a San Francisco resident and a business representative for IBEW Local 1245 in San Francisco.
“In these tough economic times, the last thing the City should be considering is a plan that would lead to service reductions and job losses. And Shell’s values, especially their abysmal environmental record, aren’t in sync with what most San Franciscans want to support,” Stern said.
CARE customers, who are typically low-income customers, are being asked to pay a larger portion of the increase than other customers. CARE customers will pay an additional $22 a month, compared to the $9 monthly increase Tier One customers are expected to see, Stern said.
IBEW Local 1245 urges San Franciscans to get the facts and sign the petition to stop the San Francisco Shell Shock contract. Go to www.Facebook.com/SFShellShock.”
*Perhaps due to the San Bruno Disaster anniversary? I mean, why else would PG&E have its union launch a big FaceBook campaign and then have all the links from the banner ads go to defunct FB pages?
If you voted for Ed Lee for Mayor, your choice for the next D5 Supervisor is London Breed.*
OTOH, if you voted against Ed Lee for Mayor, your choice for the next D5 Supervisor is Julian Davis. Throw in a couple other choices if you want, but make sure neither one is London Breed or Interim Supervisor and Total Sellout Christine Olague. (Or should I say Christine “8 Washington” Olague? Or should I say Christine “Perjurer Accomplice” Olague?)
Easy Peasy.
Come out and say hi to Julian, I’m sure he’ll be there, this Sunday:
Click to expand – it’ll become legible
Hey, is PG&E a “Sponsor” of this event, on September 9th, 2012, the two year anniversary of PG&E’s San Bruno Pipeline Explosion, the one that killed eight souls? I think so.
(I wish San Francisco had just an average kind of utility monopoly instead of motherfucking PG&E. Speaking of which, a while back they inquired about how much it would cost to advertise some PR campaign on this tiny blog. I was like GTFO – I ignored it. Interestingly, presented with a similar offer, the San Francisco Bay Guardian said bring it, and so then PGE’s signature blue banner ads started appearing at SFBG.com, I’m seriously. Ah memories. )
Anyway, see you at Sunday Streets Western Addition 2012.
*I’m sure he’d be delighted to have her on board. Now, she’s a little PO’ed these days about how she kind of got screwed over by Interim Mayor Ed Lee earlier this year, oh and by Willie Brown and Rose Pak and all, but I’m sure Mayor Lee and his minders would adapt to London’s election swimmingly. (Of course Ed Lie said he would stay out of this particular race and of course now he’s now picking sides in D5, you know, just a few months later, but he also said he wouldn’t run for Mayor. In fact that’s why he became Interim Mayor, based on that other promise. Hence the sobriquet Ed Lie.) Anyway, Republican billionaire Ron Conway threw her a few bucks a little while ago – that’s telling, IMO. Oh, and DiFi just endorsed her, and you can’t get any more Establishment than DiFi I don’t think.
“It was one of the most embarrassing moments of my career — I was literally walking into the owner’s suite,’’ he said. “And the lights went out.’’
[Earley] said two power feeds serve the stadium, one had a repair of a previous break, known as a splice. He said the utility does visual checks of splices before the games, but the problem with the splice was apparently not visible, it became superheated and failed.”
Oh, what’s that, you were just waxing poetic ‘n stuff?
No.
No, no, no.
The time to bandy about with the allegory and whatnot is not when you’re explaining why your big blow up occurred.
If you meant that the thing got too hot, then just say that the thing got too hot.
All right, PG&E, Go, and Sin No More.
Oh, and you know what you should be embarrassed about, Mr. Early, is having your spokesmodels out there Blaming SFGov First during this particular crisis. I know that’s what they’re taught to do, deflecting blame during an emergency, but, you know, isn’t that a bit cheesy?
And in fact, Mr. E., there are many, many other aspects of PG&E that you should be embarrassed about as well.
“PG&E and the City and County of San Francisco Investigate Power Outages at Candlestick Park
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 19, 2011 — Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) issued the following statement from Geisha Williams, executive vice president of electric operations, about the power outages that impacted Candlestick Park this evening:
PG&E is working closely with the City and County of San Francisco, owner and operator of Candlestick Park, to determine the cause of tonight’s power outages. The first priority for both PG&E and the City and County has been to get the power restored as quickly and safely as possible and keep the power on through the rest of the game. Determining exactly what happened and working to prevent something like this from happening again is very important to everyone involved.
SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company”
And from SFGov:
“MAYOR LEE’S STATEMENT ON POWER OUTAGES AT CANDLESTICK PARK
Mayor Edwin M. Lee today issued the following statement on the electric power outages at Candlestick Park at tonight’s San Francisco 49ers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Monday Night Football game:
“Following the loss of electric power to Candlestick Park before kickoff this evening, I directed our Police, Fire and Recreation & Park Departments and our Public Utilities Commission to work closely with the 49ers and PG&E to ensure that maintaining public safety and restoring power to the stadium were the top priorities. City staff worked immediately to deliver backup power and support PG&E staff in their repairs.
I have directed Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White and SFPUC General Manager Ed Harrington to conduct a full investigation into the cause of both outages and, with PG&E, identify immediate actions that must be taken to prevent incidents such as this from happening again.
Tonight we all share in tremendous pride for our San Francisco 49ers. We must make every effort to support continued victories for the team and fans across the Bay Area in the weeks ahead.”
- Remember when a mid-level PG&E employee* threatened me at an event sponsored by the Presidio Trust, told me that I should take one of my PG&E-related posts down because, I was done told, “It would be your interest to take that post down?” And I was like, well what does that mean? Oh that’s right, Gentle Reader, you don’t remember, but I do. Strike One.
Now, here’s the scene last night at 7:00 PM as I was swinging by the FiDi to pick up my special lady friend at an area law firm. Workers were just setting up the cones. And then a paramedic was telling me, “This one isn’t PG&E’s fault – somebody was digging.” Well yeah, but that somebody was PG&E itself:
The easy-to-remember phone number is 811, you remember?
In short, I just can’t believe how much you suck, PG&E.
Straighten up and fly right PG&E.
*A member of San Francisco’s dominant political faction (aka Downtown) along with fellow members Willie Brown, Chamber of Commerce, Gavin Newsom, real estate interests, PG&E, and you know, all those non-profits, among others.
I don’t know, there were lots of people out there, so that was good.
On the other hand, this no-cars-allowed “Walking Streets” event was brought to you by PG&E, the company what just blew up eight people a year ago and then lied about the circumstances of that these past 12 months.
I’m still not sure what the point was for this “walking-oriented” Sunday Streets but oh well.
Here’s the beginning, at Bush and Grant “Avenue.” (Note Chiu-bacca and red-shirted handler spreading the word of the mayoral candidacy of Board of Supervisors President David Chiu.)
Click to expand
And the middle, featuring a wealth of counterfeit goods on sale, and T-shirts for $2.88, just like any other day:
And here’s the end, with pretty much all the whimsy I could find today. (In aggravation, a NIMBY group was using this same very block to recruit more NIMBYs.)
That’s it.
Thanks, PG&E, I guess.
“The Chinatown-North Beach Walking Street event is made possible by the lead sponsorship of Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) with additional support from State Farm Insurance. Other Sunday Streets sponsors include Bank of America (Lead Sponsor for the 2011 Sunday Streets Season), AT&T, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, Kaiser Permanente, California Pacific Medical Center, UCSF, Shape Up, The California Endowment, Bi Rite Market, REI, Sports Basement, Mikes Bikes, Bike & Roll, Bay City Bikes, and Blazing Saddles, along with in-kind support from the American Red Cross, Bay Area, City CarShare and media sponsors SF Examiner, Clear Channel and Scoutmob.”
Apparently, PG&E has been testing these Mitsubishii-MiEV‘s (“Mitsubishi In-wheel motor Electric Vehicle” or “Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle”) for a while, but this is my first time seeing one. PG&E fleet-tests all sorts of electric vehicles all the time, of course.
Isn’t that a wonderful contribution from a great local corporation? They’re a great company that gets it.
[What, what did I just say? What? Oh, why'd I say that? Mmmm. Now, is PG&E the outfit that lies about how they killed people or are they my number one booster?* Both, maybe? I'm conflicted. Note to self: Hire fashionable spokesmodel to clean up this mess. Get money from PG&E people to hire said spokesmodel. That's using the old bean! Bingo-bango.]
Now, where was I? Oh, the electric motors are in the wheels – this is the approach Mitsu is taking. So that’s a little more advanced than what other companies (like Tesla Motors and (heh) CODA Automotive) are doing. Is that a good idea? We’ll see.
Click to expand
Those stalk things are your manual mirror adjustment controls – old school!
“ALL-NEW, 100% ELECTRIC.
Welcome to a whole new era of fleet efficiency. The result of more than four decades of dedicated EV engineering, the 100% electric Mitsubishi i offers a host of advantages over traditional gas-powered fleet vehicles.
The Mitsubishi i has less moving parts than its gas-powered counterparts which can translate to reduced maintenance requirements and less downtime for repairs.
Volatile, rising fuel costs make it difficult to project expenses. Charging with electricity can stabilize that variability and help keep you in control of your budget.
With a low acquisition fee of under $30,000 and an operating cost of just $.03 per mile*, the Mitsubishi i is remarkably cost-effective.
Of course, the Mitsubishi i isn’t just about improving your bottom line. Featuring world-class performance, a targeted range of 85 miles,† comfortable seating for four and zero on-road emissions, this EV is equipped to handle a wide variety of tasks—and demonstrate your company’s commitment to the environment.
* Estimate based on 5.3 miles per kWh at .15 cents per kWh.
† Targeted LA4 EPA city cycle. Actual range will vary depending on driving / charging habits, speed, conditions, weather, temperature and battery age.”
You’ll be able to buy one for yourself next year. Maybe they’ll be calling it the Mitsubishi i by that point.
In other news, the big anti-PG&E protest will be tomorrow at noon
Rally Friday, Sept. 9 at Noon 1st Anniversary of the CRIMINAL SAN BRUNO BLAST
Protest PG&E for its Arrogance, Incompetence & Criminal Negligence! Public Power Now!
PG&E Headquarters 77 Beale Street, SF
Sponsored by Terry Joan Baum for Mayor 2011 email: staff(at)terryjoanbaum.com phone: 415-553-8847″
See you there!
*Actually, I was in the Presidio one time, IRL, I’m srsly, and while I was there a PG&E employee came up and told me, twice, that “it would be in your interest” for me to pull my post about PG&E hiring people from Nevada to canvas for some proposition in the Mission. And then, when I was huffing up Arguello to get home later that evening, she offered me a ride in her car! I didn’t get in. (“Never get in the van.” – that’s the lesson I learned from Three Days of the Condor)
Joubert: It will happen this way. You may be walking. Maybe the first sunny day of the spring. And a car will slow beside you, and a door will open, and someone you know, maybe even trust, will get out of the car. And he will smile, a becoming smile…
“Herrera says NTSB hearing on San Bruno blast offers ‘devastating indictment’ against PG&E, regulators - Findings strongly support Herrera’s July 14 notice of intent to sue CPUC, PHMSA regulators
SAN FRANCISCO (Aug. 30, 2011) — City Attorney Dennis Herrera has issued the following statement in reaction to today’s National Transportation Safety Board meeting in Washington, D.C. to discuss and adopt the pipeline Accident Report relating to the natural gas pipeline explosion and fire that occurred in San Bruno, Calif. on September 9, 2010.
“NTSB’s report offers a devastating indictment, not just against PG&E, but also the California Public Utilities Commission and federal regulators for their failure to reasonably enforce safety standards,” Herrera said. “These conclusions point to the lax regulation that has enabled PG&E to flout regulations and safe gas pipeline operating practices for decades. NTSB’s report thoroughly supports my office’s allegations in my notice of intent to sue and in our comments to the CPUC. It makes clear that both agencies have a great deal of work to do to better regulate gas transmission pipelines and protect public safety. I commend the NTSB staff for its thorough investigation and comprehensive findings, and NTSB members for unflinchingly adopting the staff’s recommendations.”
More than half of the recommendations adopted by the NTSB today are directed at government entities — including CPUC, DOT, PHMSA, and the Governor of California. NTSB has indicated its intent to publish its synopsis of findings, probable cause, and recommendations at the following URL following today’s meeting:
On July 14, 2011, Herrera took the first step toward suing the California Public Utilities Commission and federal regulators for not reasonably enforcing gas pipeline safety standards as required by the federal Pipeline Safety Act. The notice of intent to sue is a legally-required precursor to civil litigation by San Francisco, which will seek a federal court order to compel the CPUC and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to enforce federal pipeline safety standards in an effective manner.
PG&E runs three major gas transmission lines — including the very same line that failed catastrophically in San Bruno last year, and another that dates back to the 1930s — under nine high-population-density neighborhoods in San Francisco where hundreds of thousands of people live and work, according to Herrera’s 14-page letter. Major facilities threatened by the failure of these inadequately inspected transmission lines include numerous schools and recreation centers, San Francisco City College, and San Francisco General Hospital, which typically contains more than 5,000 acute care patients and visitors, medical professionals and staff. Significant stretches of Highway 101 and Highway 280 additionally run over the antiquated lines.
Herrera’s July 14, 2011 notice letter outlines San Francisco’s prospective legal action, detailing the manner in which CPUC and PHMSA: (1) failed to enforce federal regulations mandating that pipeline operators maintain adequate records to enable the operator and regulators to ensure that pipeline conditions are not a threat to public safety; (2) failed to enforce federal regulations requiring that gas transmission pipeline operators identify all “high consequence areas” in which pipeline failure would result in significant harm to people and damage to property; (3) failed to enforce federal regulations mandating inspections of gas transmission pipeline integrity for pipelines susceptible to manufacturing and construction defects or other risks; (4) failed to ensure that CPUC had staff sufficient in number, training, and experience to adequately fulfill its obligations to regulate and enforce pipeline safety regulations; (5) failed to ensure that integrity management inspections of gas transmission pipelines in California are performed with sufficient frequency and thoroughness to ensure pipeline safety; and (6) failed to require PG&E to correct violations found in audits of PG&E’s integrity management practices.”
Man, that PG&E has issues, huh?
In lighter news, Rob Reiner explicates his ardor for Dennis Jose:
“I’ve been active in statewide politics for decades. I chaired the Prop 10 campaign in the 1990s to create the groundbreaking “First 5 California” program, which delivers critical services to millions of children from birth to age 5. I took on big developers to save our state parks and wildlife. And I fought big tobacco to protect public health, and to reduce its influence in Hollywood.
But it was as co-founder of the American Foundation for Equal Rights—which initiated the federal legal challenge to Prop 8 that eliminated marriage equality in California—that I had the opportunity to work closely with San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera.
And that’s why I’m endorsing Dennis Herrera for Mayor of San Francisco.
Not all San Franciscans fully appreciate the extent to which California looks to their city for strong, progressive leadership on issues that make a real difference in people’s lives—like civil rights, the environment and consumer protection. But we do.
That’s why what’s at stake in the 2011 San Francisco Mayor’s race is so important to all Californians. Dennis has a serious plan to create jobs and make San Francisco a model of a 21st century city. His proven record of leadership and professionalism is best suited to continue San Francisco’s honored tradition as a beacon of innovation and progress.
Dennis Herrera filed the first government lawsuit in American history to challenge state marriage laws that discriminate against lesbian and gay couples. His principled advocacy for the broad societal imperative of ending any-LGBT discrimination continues to make a persuasive difference in the courts in our fight for marriage equality.
A strong advocate for early childhood services, Dennis shares my conviction that government can and should do more to support schools, children, parents and teachers. And his record of accomplishment on consumer protection, the environment and public integrity is unmatched
Dennis has the best plan to make San Francisco a model 21st century city—and to continue San Francisco’s tradition as a beacon of innovation and progress.
