Connect the Dots 20091230
On the third day of Christmas, everybody who got the Sunday paper got to see the front page story about the San Diego Foundation and the public poll it was spending $2 million on. The SDF wants two things from …
The End of Citrus Heights - Lemon Grove?
Back in mid-April, Michele Clock of our distinguished daily paper reported that Lemon Grove city council members were not too happy with the proposed Helix Water District capacity fee to be charged on new developments. According to Ms. Clock's article, …
On the Fourth Day of Christmas
On the fourth day of Christmas, a lawyer was talking to us. When the Court makes a ruling against a plaintiff party for not prevailing in her or his opposition to defendant's civil motion for summary judgment, the plaintiff may …
On the Third Day of Christmas
On the third day of Christmas, our distinguished daily paper's Sunday edition brought us a mystery. Do you know who the San Diego Foundation is and why it wants our money? I don't. On the front page of the paper …
On the Second Day of Christmas
On the second day of Christmas, there were leftovers. Lots of leftovers. All of our guests finally went home. It wasn't that they weren't welcome to stay longer, but they should have brought a change of clothes and their own …
On the First Day of Christmas
On the first day of Christmas, I heard about Jews and Muslims volunteering together in Detroit. Mitzvah Day in Detroit is a 20-year tradition of Jews doing volunteer public service as Christian neighbors celebrate on Christmas Day. This year, about …
Encanto Businesses: "What New Apartment Building?!?"
An informal survey of businesses and the Boys & Girls Club along Imperial Avenue east of the Black Contractors Association building to Lemon Grove reveals that pretty much none of them are aware of plans to zone them out of …
SDG&E WEBA Proposal Seeks Open-ended Rate Increases
San Diego Gas and Electric Company is seeking California Public Utilities Commission permission to raise rates for a new Wildfire Expense Balancing Account (WEBA) at the same time SDG&E; also wants permission to cut power to county electricity customers during …
SEDC Open House on December 23
The Southeastern Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) will have its holiday open house from 2 PM to 4 PM at its offices in the Concorde Career College building on Imperial Avenue. SEDC staff have held a gingerbread house contest between departments. …
High-Stakes High Wind Power Cutoff Talks Continue
Stakeholders Mediate, SDG&E; Stalls? Today's business page of our distinguished daily paper described the frustration earlier on Friday of county stakeholders trying to reach common ground with the San Diego Gas & Electric Company representative in federal mediation. SDG&E; sought …
Electrical Corporations: Too Big to Fail, but also Too Big to be Wrong?
“Businesspersons are not all necessarily angels, anymore than any other group; the illegal, fraudulent, or sharp operator must be held responsible for misconduct and punished where appropriate” (Milton R. Wessel, The Rule of Reason: a new approach to corporate litigation) …
SDG&E Computer Model Failed to Predict 2007 Rice Wildfire
Utility's Vegetation Management Program Ignored Inspector Warning to Trim Tree A San Diego Gas & Electric Company employee testifed before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) regarding causes of recent wildfires and contractor involvement in county tree inspections around power …
A Quick Review of Sempra Revenue, restricted to regulated income from local operations
It does appear that the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will grant application of SDG&E to increase rates for conserving customers who consume less electricity (http://www.ucan.org/energy/electricity/sdges_new_plan_lower_rates_energy_hogs_higher_energy_savers). On any sort of application for a rate increase, there needs to be testimony …
RBS Sempra: Kill the Golden Goose?
In this morning's daily San Diego paper, it was finally revealed that Sempra Energy may actually sell off its share of RBS Sempra Commodities, that globe-spanning $3 billion limited liability company with possible ties to the Dubai end of the …
Lowering the SDG&E Bill
I've always thought that going solar could be a good thing, but all of those government regulations on a $20K+ rooftop solar setup to power the house always seemed like a pain in the assets. Then I saw the Harbor …
How to Count San Diego Gas and Electrical Companies (with Franchises or Not)
We apparently like systems redundancy here in San Diego. We have a city council that is also our primary redevelopment agency when its not a city council, plus a centre city redevelopment agency as a separate corporation that sometimes actually …
The San Diego Electrical Corporation Franchise
San Diego Gas and Electric Company (SDG&E) is the finest public utility for delivering gas and electricity to customers within the SDG&E service area. It has to be because it's the only one. SDG&E has an exclusive-inclusive franchise from San …
FYI: CPUC WEBA Application links
The following links lead to copies of filed documents and prepared testimony for rate increase authority to fund utility Wildfire Expense Balancing Accounts (WEBA). August 2009 WEBA application Sept. 22, 2009 SDG&E advice letter to CPUC regarding CPUC approval of …
Smuggled Congo Gold: No Sempra Connection?
Smuggled Gold = 5 Million Dead in War? A recent 60 Minutes segment on CBS highlighted how revenues from gold smuggled out of the Congo helps to finance the on-going conflict there. According to the CBS report, gold mined by …
Sempra Energy Wins Rejection of Energy Contract Renegotiations
Jury finds "company lied to state negotiators" (U-T A1), but no harm to state Today's San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Sempra Energy won its suit against California, preventing the renegotiation of energy crisis contracts that the state claimed were obtained …