By Don Bauder / San Diego Reader / January 24, 2012
San Diego Gas & Electric has told the California Public Utilities Commission that there is no need for local public hearings now on its attempt to get customers to pick up uninsured costs of the 2007 wildfires. Recently, the Mussey Grade Road Alliance asked for such a hearing.
SDG&E has been requesting that ratepayers pick up the tab for certain insurance expenses in the future. In a one-sentence request snuck into verbiage on that topic, it also asked for coverage for the 2007 fires, for which regulators found that it had responsibility because of negligence. Immediately, the Mussey group said that the San Diego public must know about this backdoor maneuver — and also know more about the blank check that would be written to cover future liabilities.
Now SDG&E has told the CPUC that it would be “inefficient and confusing” to hold such public meetings at this time. SDG&E, in essence, wants the CPUC to set up the mechanism for its sticking ratepayers with the bill. Then, after the amount is determined, the company says it would be amenable to public discussion. But once the mechanism is set up, the ballgame is over.
“This is like SDG&E saying that ‘We are constructing a guillotine, but you don’t need to have any public comments now. Wait until the blade is against your neck,” says Diane Conklin, spokesperson for the Mussey alliance.
For the remainder of Bauder’s article, please go here.
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Obviously SDG&E could have done more to help prevent its line initiating fires – because it has since found a way to do so. Pity it didn’t think of that earlier. It was granted a full monopoly to provide power to all. In doing so, it was also permitted to make a profit on this essential service up to a certain amount. Of course, it never makes more than that amount because it siphons off income/revenues and moves money between accounts, and raises salaries and benefits of its executives, do that it doesn’t look so bad. It has such a monopoly that even if a household provided all of its own power it still has to pay a fee to SDG&E each month. If SD G&E can’t do the job, then put it out for tender.