Source: San Luis Obispo Editorial Board | By McClatchy News Group

“PG&E is doing things to try to bring down bills,” said Mark Toney, executive director of The Utility Reform Network (TURN), ”but they aren’t working out right.” Not so fast, says TURN. It argues that PG&E is attempting to lease something it doesn’t have — the transmission projects have “yet to be identified or approved,” it says in a document submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission. It characterizes the $1 billion deal as more of a loan than a lease since PG&E customers would be on the hook if something were to go awry. In the long run, that could cost ratepayers more money, TURN says.

As detailed by the website Utility Dive, PG&E is proposing to enter into a lease agreement that would allow Citizens to use portions of up to five future transmission projects in exchange for up-front payments of up to $1 billion. That would allow PG&E to plan and develop the projects without having to borrow, translating into substantial savings for ratepayers. Citizens also would finance charitable programs in low-income communities within PG&E’s service area.

Source: Orange County Register/ SoCal News Group | By Teri Sfora

Edison, to its credit, decided to go the insulated overhead route as much as possible, costing some $800,000 a mile. PG&E, however, decided to bury many lines — slower and not measurably safer — costing some $4 million a mile, The Utility Reform Network’s Mark Toney recently told us. The fault lies squarely with the CPUC, Toney said — the “overly generous” regulator responsible for reviewing and approving increases. TURN’s Toney would agree. He’d love to see utilities face a cap in how much they can seek in increases, and new rules that would require utilities to use the least expensive solution when possible. He’d also like to see shareholders pay half of the cost of overruns when utilities overspend. That way it wouldn’t all fall on ratepayers. “That would reduce costs immediately!” Toney told us. “The sad truth is, companies are more accountable to their shareholders than they are to their ratepayers.”

It’s important to point out here that electric companies don’t make money by selling electricity. Instead, they make money from the CPUC-set rate of the return on their capital investments; that’s their profit. So there’s a built-in incentive for utilities to spend more money on capital investments than they might need to. The quicker and less expensive way for an electric company to harden its system is to use above-ground, insulated poles and wires rather than digging down in the dirt and burying lines. The safety profile is essentially the same, experts say.

Source: NBC Bay Area | By Scott Budman

Before seeing a price hike, Mark Toney, the executive director of Turn, said his bill went up to by $400. “My bill went to $500 from around $100," he said. PG&E said the price hikes were necessary to pay for wildfire safety improvements and to offset the rise in business costs. However, quarterly figures from the company show its profits rose 28%, or $520 million.

The Pacific Gas and Electric Company saw over $500 million in profits in the last three months. But the increase in profits has also left customers paying a higher bill. "Bills will be higher than what they've ever seen,” said Patricia Poppe, the utility company’s CEO. “It's really important, number one, that we let our customers know that we know." Poppe added that the company eventually foresees costs dropping, but there are challenges ahead.

Source: Times Standard | By George Avalos

“California residents need to brace themselves for the biggest bill shocks of their lives starting in late August when skyrocketing rates are multiplied by heavy air conditioning usage needed just to survive the record-breaking extreme heat in July,” said Mark Toney, executive director of The Utility Reform Network, or TURN, a consumer group.

The utility titan’s electricity rates could rise by an average of nearly 11% a year through 2027, the state Public Utilities Commission reported, which would continue a brutal pattern of skyrocketing monthly bills for PG&E’s customers. “The forecast in the CPUC report is speculative and should not be viewed as fact,” PG&E spokesperson Mike Gazda said. “PG&E has committed to limit average annual increases to no more than 3% through 2026.” The report forecasts the annual percentage increase in electric rates by comparing the actual year-end rates in 2023 to what the PUC expects will occur through 2027:— PG&E: 43% total increase through 2027, for an average annual increase of 10.8%. — Southern California Edison: 26% increase through 2027, for an average annual increase of 6.5%. — San Diego Gas & Electric: 22% overall increase through 2027, for an average annual increase of 5.6%.

Source: Mercury News | By George Avalos

The utility titan is unlikely to keep bill increases within the inflation rate, according to Mark Toney, executive director of The Utility Reform Network, or TURN, a consumer group. Toney believes this is the case because PG&E is expected to pursue multiple proceedings that could shove monthly bills even higher if the state Public Utilities Commission approves the requests. “PG&E has so many proposals that are pending or will be filed for rate increases,” Toney said. “I don’t believe PG&E is going to keep rate increases within inflation. PG&E has too many rate requests coming up.” Toney remained skeptical that PG&E can keep increases in monthly charges close to or below the pace of inflation. “I’ll believe it when I see it,” Toney said. “Customers are going to have to pay more.”

During the April through June second quarter, PG&E posted a profit of $520 million — up 28.1% from the utility titan’s profits from the same three-month period the year before, the company reported Thursday. Oakland-based PG&E generated $5.99 billion in operating revenue in the 2024 second quarter — up 13.2% from the same quarter in 2023.

Source: PR Newswire | By Pacific Gas & Electric Company

To provide additional financial assistance to more households with past-due energy bills, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is modifying guidelines mid-year for the Relief for Energy Assistance through Community Help (REACH) program. REACH and REACH Triple Match help qualifying low- to moderate-income customers pay their past-due energy bill and help prevent service disconnections. "We want to ensure more customers have the support they need to get their energy bills back on track," said Vincent Davis, PG&E Senior Vice President, Customer Experience. "With a more robust bill credit and broader income eligibility, we can provide greater financial relief to the households that need it most."

Source: The Sacramento Bee | By Stephen Hobbs

“The fact that the insurance corporations are going after Consumer Watchdog, means Consumer Watchdog is doing their job extremely well,” said Mark Toney, executive director of The Utility Reform Network, and one of the letter signers. “In fact, I would call it a badge of honor.”

In the state’s tumultuous market, where prices are spiking and coverage is harder to find, the Department of Insurance is now considering a question that goes to the heart of the group’s work: Does Consumer Watchdog actually represent the interest of Californians? State lawmakers, companies and residents are all pressuring Lara to do more. In response, he is supporting rule changes meant to speed up reviews of proposed rate increases. Lara blames delays on companies – but he also claims Consumer Watchdog has slowed the process down by copying department work when it protests price hikes. He has accused the group of holding the reviews hostage at times. Representatives for 14 environmental, legal and other groups co-signed a letter to Lara that said it was “outrageous” for companies to suggest Consumer Watchdog wasn’t working on behalf of residents. It called on the department to grant the organization’s request immediately.

Source: ABC 10 | By Devin Trubey

Mark Toney, with the Utility Reform Network, said this increase in funding is on top of existing rate increases from earlier this year. So, while it might not seem like a lot, it all adds up. “The fault in this rate increase lies squarely with the legislatures who passed a bill that allowed PG&E to collect extra money for work they were already supposed to do and already receive money for,” Toney said.

As Californians face higher electric bills with the extreme heat, PG&E customers can expect to pay more. Thursday, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) allowed PG&E to increase their funding on expansion projects.

Source: ABC10 | By Brandon Rittimanhor

Customers who received some of PG&E’s first new underground power lines are shocked by how little the company buried and frustrated by a lack of clear communication

Source: Cap Radio | By Chris Nichols & Tony Rodriguez

Mark Toney, executive director of TURN (The Utility Reform Network), said past studies of deadly heat waves have found some people died even though they had air conditioning because of the cost of running it.“I know a lot of elderly on fixed incomes. They're afraid to turn on the air conditioner, but it's an extremely important thing,” he said. “What we need to do is to push the shareholders to take some of their record profits and give some great relief during this record-breaking heat.” Toney said his organization has asked the California Public Utility Commission to issue an emergency order during this ongoing heat wave to stop utilities from disconnecting power due to nonpayment. He said PG&E has already agreed to do this from July 4 through the end of this week.

The current, seemingly endless heat wave hitting the Sacramento region and much of the West is putting stress on people in many ways. As residents look to stay cool, air conditioners are running nearly nonstop in homes that have them. That can lead to not only tired appliances, but big bills.

Source: Cap Radio | By Sarit Laschinsky

The summer heat wave means Californians will be running their air conditions and trying to keep their outdoor plants alive. However, they will also be facing higher energy and water bills as a result. Mark Toney, Executive Director of TURN (The Utility Reform Network) joins Insight to talk about the impact of the heat on high electricity bills.

Source: Redheaded Blackbelt | By Sarah Reith

Regina Costa is the telecommunications policy director for TURN, The Utility Reform Network, which fought vigorously against AT&T’s proposal. She is confident the successful effort to hold AT&T to its obligations as COLR was due in part to “the people of Mendocino County and Humboldt County, people who drove and waited for hours to give public testimony on the problems with AT&T’s proposals. What you guys did made a massive difference.” The fight for quality service in rural California isn’t over, though. One common complaint is that AT&T doesn’t maintain its network to a high standard. Regina Costa says the CPUC is now looking “very closely” at a report on service quality issues. “Part of that report discusses what AT&T admitted, which is that it doesn’t maintain its network because it doesn’t have staff,” she said. “Well, they made the decision to reduce their staff.” She says the commission is now considering if there is a way to force the utility to increase its personnel. “Most of the time, even when the lines are horrible, if they could still at least work, you’ve got something,” she observed.

A bill that would have relieved telephone companies of their legal obligation to provide essential telecommunications services at affordable prices was pulled from a key committee on Monday, meaning it is not currently on its way to a vote by the full House.

Source: CBS News | By Steve Large

Mark Toney is the executive director of The Utility Reform Network, or TURN. Toney said that PG&E should be covering more power lines above ground. He said that PG&E's effort to put 10,000 miles of power lines underground is too slow and costly. The state has authorized the utility company to bury only 1,300 miles by 2026. "It's delaying safety and costing a fortune," Toney said. "If you are in a place that's waiting to be buried, maybe you're not in this four-year round. Maybe you'll be in the next four years or maybe after.”

With triple-digit fire weather top of mind, some people who live in wildfire-prone areas like Foresthill in Placer County are getting their power lines put underground by Pacific Gas and Electric—and some are not. Mike Howard owns a home on one acre of property in Foresthill. He's had several close calls and mandatory evacuations in the ten years since moving there.

Source: San Jose Spotlight | By Brandon Pho

A representative with The Utility Reform Network (TURN), an Oakland-based group that advocates for affordable connectivity, said AT&T retreated and pulled the bill in the face of public scrutiny. “Californians saw through AT&T’s smoke and mirrors,” TURN’s Telecom Policy Director Regina Costa told San José Spotlight. “The bill wasn’t about modernizing AT&T’s network, it was about giving AT&T the power to walk away from providing any kind of service wherever it chose.”

A state bill that would have let AT&T off the hook for emergency landline service — circumventing state regulators and affecting remote pockets of Santa Clara County — is on hold after public backlash. Assembly Bill 2797 has been pulled from the California Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee meeting slated for Tuesday. It comes after the bill — originally about horse racing — was gutted and amended to give telecommunications companies another way out of their “carrier of last resort” duty if they submit a notice showing a lack of customers or that alternative services are available. Critics said AT&T is behind the bill, which Assemblymember Tina McKinnor introduced just before state utility regulators denied AT&T’s request to withdraw from its state obligation.

Source: The Mercury News | By George Avalos

“A 9% rate reduction is a drop in the bucket for customers who have been slammed” by monthly bills that have soared, said Mark Toney, executive director with The Utility Reform Network, or TURN, a consumer group. Since Jan. 1 of this year, PG&E has submitted four fresh proposals for rate increases to the state PUC, Toney added. “It is disingenuous for PG&E to take credit for a rate reduction that they are required by the PUC to pass along to customers who have made the final payment on a portion of the billions of dollars in utility overspending on wildfire mitigation,” Toney said.

The utility will reduce residential electricity rates by about 9% starting July 1, the company said. The lower rates could reduce bills by $20 a month for a typical household that uses 500 kilowatt-hours per month of electricity, according to information provided by PG&E. As of April 2024, electricity bills averaged $226 a month for the typical residential customer, while gas bills averaged $74, according to PG&E.

Source: KTVU Fox 2 | By Ann Rubin

Right now, AT&T is what's called a carrier of last resort. It's required by law to offer landline service to anyone in California who wants it. But that could soon change thanks to proposed legislation. AB 2797 would make it easier for AT&T to pull out of certain areas. "If this passes, they are not obliged to provide service, which means they can pull completely out of serving an area. They can decide they don't want to serve certain neighborhoods. They can decline service to customers, refuse to repair their phone lines," says Regina Costa of The Utility Reform Network or TURN.

Politicians and utility advocates are speaking out. They say Californians' right to landlines needs to be protected, and they're concerned proposed legislation puts that right in jeopardy. In this part of Santa Clara County, when there are wildfires or earthquakes, landlines can be lifelines. Mary Picchetti says her neighbors are all scared they could lose theirs.

Source: Sacramento Bee | By Ari Plachta

“The final budget deal with the Governor represents a total capitulation to PG&E and its shareholders,” Utility Reform Network attorney Matthew Freedman wrote. “This $400 million will never be paid back to the general fund, forcing taxpayers to absorb the costs.”

California lawmakers agreed to loan Pacific Gas & Electric Co. an additional $400 million to extend the life of Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, ceding to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s push for the loan after initially refusing to pay in a public budget spat. Newsom, who brokered a 2022 deal to extend the nuclear plant’s operations with state loans to be covered by the federal government, has argued that Diablo Canyon is critical to maintaining grid stability as the state transitions to clean energy.

Source: Bay City News | By Ruth Dusseault

“Copper uses electricity. But when the power goes out, the power is provided from the telephone company by very big generators,” said Regina Costa with The Utility Reform Network, a nonprofit watchdog group that advocates for affordable power and phone service. “When an earthquake hits and the power’s out for two or three days, you still have local phone service.”

The California Public Utilities Commission has rejected AT&T’s request to withdraw as a carrier of last resort, or COLR, but it also decided to revisit the rules of determination. Meanwhile, a new bill in the state Legislature would revise the requirements for any company to be designated the COLR. The COLR is a cornerstone of utility regulation. It obligates a carrier to provide basic service to all customers within their territory no matter where they live. It can provide telephone service over any technology, such as copper, fiber, cable, voice over internet protocol (VoIP is a combination of copper and fiber), or wireless cellular. AT&T California has held that designation since 1996. It planted utility poles and strung copper telephone wire throughout the state.

Source: CalMatters | By Khari Johnson

California’s Public Utilities Commission today rejected AT&T’s application to stop providing landlines and other services in areas where there is no other option.

Its 4-0 vote came after a judge determined the application by AT&T California was “fatally flawed.”

Source: SF Chronicle | By Aidin Vaziri

AT&T must continue offering landline telephone service in California, state regulators decided Thursday.