Publish to Newswire
Add an EventFrom the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature
Meeting at PG&E, SF
Community leaders and concerned citizens attempted to meet with PG&E management about the PG&E rate hike and layoffs today in San Francisco
Community leaders including Medea Benjamin, Marie Harrison, Susan B. Rodriguez, Barbara George, and Todd Chretien met this morning with PG&E representatives to voice concerns over the recent PG&E rate hikes, layoffs, and other ominous developments. The meeting took place at PG&E offices in downtown San Francisco.
The PG&E representatives attempted to paint PG&E as a beleaguered company doing its best to cope with rising costs. However the cover story on today's SF Chronicle, "PG&E Corp. Wins Stealthy Federal OK to Stash Profits", made it hard for them to support that position.
The group of community members and leaders, who are coming together under the umbrella "Campaign Against Utilities Rate Hikes", had been requesting a meeting with top-level management for the past week. Failing to get a response, the group had notified PG&E that they would be arriving for a meeting today at 11 AM. However, PG&E management "Could not be spared because of a Stage 3 Alert" today, and two assistants were assigned to meet with the group: Russ Jackson and Guillermo Rodrigues. The community group pointed out to Jackson and Rodrigues that PG&E management had found time to meet with business leaders during the past week, and that it is critical that PG&E management be willing to talk to community leaders.
The group had intended to present top PG&E management with petitions protesting the rate hike, containing thousands of signatures collected over the last few days. However, since no members of top PG&E management were present, the petitions were not presented at this time.
The two PG&E representatives stated that PG&E was open to suggestions for coping with the situation. In response, it was pointed out that the public does not trust PG&E, and it was suggested that PG&E take a three-pronged approach which would improve its public image: a moratorium on utility shutoffs, no more layoffs of PG&E employees, and a rescinding of the current 9% rate increase. Others added additional measures such as ending political contributions and giving the public access to information (no more secret meetings where consumer groups, unions, and community leaders are excluded). Still others added that PG&E "executives most definitely need to be fired for mismanagement, bad planning, and greed."
The members of the group presented a variety of points of view ranging from reasoned and well-researched histories of the situation and plans for solving the problems through municipal utilities and sustainable energy production to impassioned presentations of the effects any rate increase will have on people already living on the economic margin. PG&E's suggestions that those in trouble get on one of their assistance programs ("We will go to extraordinary lengths to help") was met with the statement, "They already are on your programs. It is not working." Also the issue of Bayview Hunter's Point PG&E generators creating pollution and devastating the health of that community was brought up, and that the generators are "going full blast" even though they were supposed to cut back on operations.
When questioned about their process of generating, selling, and buying electricity, the PG&E representatives said that PG&E sells the electricity it generates for 3.6 cents per kilowatt hour to the power exchange and then buys it back for 40 cents and sells it to the consumer for 5.4 cents. It was suggested that "cutting out the middle man" might be a good idea, as is done by municipal power utilities such as Sacramento's SMUD, where power is generated locally, largely through solar generators. There are forty-seven municipal power utilities throughout the state of California, and they are having no energy crisis.
When questioned about its present power-generating activity, the PG&E representatives said that PG&E is generating perhaps 40% of its own power (they were not comfortable giving a figure, qualifying it with "maybe", "roughly", and "it varies"). They said that with PG&E's divesting of generating plants that percentage gets smaller, with increased demand from growing California population it gets smaller still, and that no power plants have been built in California for the last 15 years. Also that the rate the PG&E utility company has been paying to electricity-selling corporations (which includes the PG&E parent company) via the power exchange has risen 900% in recent years.
It was pointed out by the group that Municipal Utilities can concentrate on serving their communities rather than global profit-taking and that they are good employers, and it was gently suggested to the PG&E reps that they might choose to look into this as a career path.
The meeting ended politely with some promises of further meetings with higher management in the near future.
The PG&E representatives attempted to paint PG&E as a beleaguered company doing its best to cope with rising costs. However the cover story on today's SF Chronicle, "PG&E Corp. Wins Stealthy Federal OK to Stash Profits", made it hard for them to support that position.
The group of community members and leaders, who are coming together under the umbrella "Campaign Against Utilities Rate Hikes", had been requesting a meeting with top-level management for the past week. Failing to get a response, the group had notified PG&E that they would be arriving for a meeting today at 11 AM. However, PG&E management "Could not be spared because of a Stage 3 Alert" today, and two assistants were assigned to meet with the group: Russ Jackson and Guillermo Rodrigues. The community group pointed out to Jackson and Rodrigues that PG&E management had found time to meet with business leaders during the past week, and that it is critical that PG&E management be willing to talk to community leaders.
The group had intended to present top PG&E management with petitions protesting the rate hike, containing thousands of signatures collected over the last few days. However, since no members of top PG&E management were present, the petitions were not presented at this time.
The two PG&E representatives stated that PG&E was open to suggestions for coping with the situation. In response, it was pointed out that the public does not trust PG&E, and it was suggested that PG&E take a three-pronged approach which would improve its public image: a moratorium on utility shutoffs, no more layoffs of PG&E employees, and a rescinding of the current 9% rate increase. Others added additional measures such as ending political contributions and giving the public access to information (no more secret meetings where consumer groups, unions, and community leaders are excluded). Still others added that PG&E "executives most definitely need to be fired for mismanagement, bad planning, and greed."
The members of the group presented a variety of points of view ranging from reasoned and well-researched histories of the situation and plans for solving the problems through municipal utilities and sustainable energy production to impassioned presentations of the effects any rate increase will have on people already living on the economic margin. PG&E's suggestions that those in trouble get on one of their assistance programs ("We will go to extraordinary lengths to help") was met with the statement, "They already are on your programs. It is not working." Also the issue of Bayview Hunter's Point PG&E generators creating pollution and devastating the health of that community was brought up, and that the generators are "going full blast" even though they were supposed to cut back on operations.
When questioned about their process of generating, selling, and buying electricity, the PG&E representatives said that PG&E sells the electricity it generates for 3.6 cents per kilowatt hour to the power exchange and then buys it back for 40 cents and sells it to the consumer for 5.4 cents. It was suggested that "cutting out the middle man" might be a good idea, as is done by municipal power utilities such as Sacramento's SMUD, where power is generated locally, largely through solar generators. There are forty-seven municipal power utilities throughout the state of California, and they are having no energy crisis.
When questioned about its present power-generating activity, the PG&E representatives said that PG&E is generating perhaps 40% of its own power (they were not comfortable giving a figure, qualifying it with "maybe", "roughly", and "it varies"). They said that with PG&E's divesting of generating plants that percentage gets smaller, with increased demand from growing California population it gets smaller still, and that no power plants have been built in California for the last 15 years. Also that the rate the PG&E utility company has been paying to electricity-selling corporations (which includes the PG&E parent company) via the power exchange has risen 900% in recent years.
It was pointed out by the group that Municipal Utilities can concentrate on serving their communities rather than global profit-taking and that they are good employers, and it was gently suggested to the PG&E reps that they might choose to look into this as a career path.
The meeting ended politely with some promises of further meetings with higher management in the near future.
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!
Donate
$225.00 donated
in the past month
Get Involved
If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.
Publish
Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.
Topics
More
Search Indybay's Archives
Advanced Search
►
▼
IMC Network
In my heart I know that this is a scam of all scams. I am totally appalled at the behavior of PG&E. Their concern is not for the people, but for their pocket book. No one can tell me that they did not have knowledge of the need for more for power plants for the city of california. I am praying that the Lord would bring exposure to this treachous behavior.
I am further disgusted at the behavior of the Public Utility Commission. They are not concern about public opinion or lively hood. They need to seriously take the blinders off of their eyes and see the truth. That this is nothing but a bunch of hogwash. I am truly offended that we the consumers are paying for PG&E poor manangement. I don't feel that we should have to pay the price for their ignorance.
PUC needs to realize not only do we have to pay the price of the electricity for ourselves, but we will be paying the prices of the grocer, the shopping center's, the hotel's electricity and so. And the government's worry about recession, and debt, oh we surely will have a recession if this type of poor budget management continues. Not to mention the fact we are already paying highest rent that we have ever paid along with the necessary things that we need to live. Why should we have to cut back and suffer because of their greed and deception.
Ever since deregulations has taken place, PG&E has been looking for a way to gain sole priority over the electricity of california again. To monopolizes the industry.
So why not come up with scam of scams and create a delusion that they are bankrupt and they are victims we have no money. When the truth is that the California Citizens are the victims. Victim of the most outrageous Scam of this day and time. Victims of their poor management, victims of their insolence. But how so like the predator, who is the hunter coming after his prey, turns around to cry wolf and acts as if they are the ones be victimize. This is truly a joke.
Furthermore, I pray that all the consumers will not take this laying down. Because as the old saying goes. If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything. I would like to know as consumers what can we do to fight against this power price increase.
I would like to say in closure that Governor Gray Davis and Mayor Jerry Brown along with the Public Utility Commission(PUC). Have an Oligation and responsibility to the people, and the needs of the people. Not the needs of greedy selfcenter company's whose only motive is to deceive and get richer. Oh what tail we weave, when we seek to deceive. How would they like if there was no demand for their supply.
Well congratulations PG&E you finally have done it. Scam of All times.