With the women taking home the World Cup, it marked a great victory for the team and the U.S. As many of us stayed glued for the outcome, many missed a significant loss in a battle here at home with Sempra Energy, that with its defensive lineup of lobbyists, once again is taking the money out of consumers pockets and placing it in the coffers of shareholders.
With the women taking home the World Cup, it marked a great victory for the team and the U.S. As many of us stayed glued for the outcome, many missed a significant loss in a battle here at home with Sempra Energy, that with its defensive lineup of lobbyists, once again is taking the money out of consumers pockets and placing it in the coffers of shareholders.
Despite the opposition from ratepayers and environmentalists concerned over rates and the decrease of renewable and less expensive energy resources, by the beginning of next year, we all will be paying higher utility rates with some inlanders saving a projected 2.5 percent. And when they say inland users, I do not believe that East County San Diego will fall under that category, even though in the short distance of miles from the beaches, temperatures can range within a 20-degree difference.
Going from a four tiered system to a two tiered system for ratepayers, just about everyone will be hit, including the elderly and poverty level families that live on a subsidized rate, the California Public Utilities Commission, once again voted for the corporation rather than the people. It’s arguments are weak, saying that this will rebalance the cost to all people and give relief to the higher paying customers who they say are taking the slack for the lower income people. And for us SDG&E consumers this means a 25 percent price increase. SDG&E has also included a special bonus with its super-user electric surcharge, which the power companies call a deterrent for those who use electricity during peak hours. Regardless of which tier you fall under, once you pass your allotted usage, you can expect that your bill will rise accordingly.
One again we have been sold out by the CPUC, whose job is to serve the public interest “by protecting consumers and ensuring the provision of safe, reliable utility service and infrastructure at reasonable rates, with a commitment to environmental enhancement and a healthy California economy (CPUC Mission Statement).” Well, economic growth is a sure thing for Sempra and its shareholders.
Sempra, the parent company for California utilities, has a coverage area in 17 states, four countries and 2 continents. Our region is insignificant in its numbers other than the fact that the San Diego region already has one of the highest electricity rates in the country.
With all of the economic problems we have gone through over the past ten years, it has not affected our utility companies growth in profit for its shareholders. Not only have we been sold out by the CPUC, who is there to “protect the consumer,” but by our state legislatures as well. I look for a day when we can say that these people that run these corporations and the legislatures that represent us are held accountable for their greedy fingers, but that is a mere pipedream at this time.
We are suffering a catastrophic drought, the West is inundated with wildfires as we speak and it is expected to only get worse. Now we have to worry whether or not we can support our families and businesses with the increase cost of energy-again.
This change has much further repercussions than just higher bills as it can drastically affect California’s policies for advancement of cheaper, renewable energy projects and stagnate the growing demand for alternative energies. Someone has to stop the madness of corporate greed that is strapped to the backs of the average consumer. CPUC’s statements are bogus and a smokescreen for an entity that can be bought by the highest bidder.
