Aliso Canyon Controversy: CPUC called out for "Blackout Blackmail"
A letter penned by Consumer Watchdog to legislative leaders wants answers under oath from California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) President Michael Picker and other energy regulators about why state reports misrepresented Southern California natural gas reserves and capacity.
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Credit: Camerafiend/Wikimedia Commons |
The letter claims the reports were used as a type of
blackmail based on the threat of blackouts if Aliso Canyon's gas
reserves were shut down.
"New information, uncovered by engineer Bill Powers for Food &
Water Watch and the Los Angeles Times, shows two recent reports
by the CPUC, DWP (Los Angeles Department of Water and Power),
Southern California Gas and state energy regulators claiming
blackouts will ensue if Aliso is curtailed are based on false
information and key omissions," Consumer Watchdog president
Jamie Court wrote to Senator pro Tem Kevin de Leon, Assembly
Speaker Anthony Rendon, and utility oversight committee chairs
Senator Mike Gatto and Assembly member Ben Hueso.
The letter calls for Picker and other energy regulators to
address the reports under oath, including: to what degree
Southern California Gas authored the report; a failure to
acknowledge a huge DWP natural gas reserve in Wyoming controlled
by DWP; inaccurate statements about the ability of the Honor
Rancho storage field to serve as an effective substitute for
Aliso Canyon for reliability purposes; the characterization of
the capacity and nature of other reserves and power plants as
wells; and inflated estimates of electric natural gas generation
demand and pipeline capacity.
Of particular note is that Southern California Gas and Sempra, its parent company, is listed as co-author of the report. Individual authors are not credited.
The letter contends that these companies "concocted these misrepresentations to preserve its investment in Aliso Canyon and that the PUC and energy regulators allowed the false statements to be published without scrutiny under the state seal."
"Those of us who were active in public life in Southern California at the turn of this century remember the blackout blackmail perpetrated by the energy pirates and the utilities, including Sempra, Southern California Gas's parent company, against ratepayers and taxpayers," the letter says.
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