“The California Energy Commission needs to wrap up its study and, as necessary, offer a conclusion that is politically incorrect but economically correct. Little doubt, California energy policy needs a dose of reality-and about face.”
Earlier this month, a piece by CBS Sacramento reporters Marlee Ginter, “Findings from California gas price watchdog after first year on job, industry responds,” interviewed Tai Milder, Director of the California Energy Commission’s Petroleum Market Oversight division. The “nation’s first gas price watchdog” found a dollar per gallon of unexplained price premium (“surcharge”) in the state. In his words:
… Continue ReadingThe first thing I think it’s really important for people to understand is this surcharge adjusts for taxes and fees. So once you compare California’s taxes to other state’s taxes and you adjust for that, there’s still an unexplained markup and that is the oil industry markup.
Ed. Note: William R. Guice speaks energy truth to California. MasterResource is pleased to reproduce his August 6th letter to the California Department of Conservation, Geologic Energy Management Division, Central District. The letter first appeared at LinkedIn.
“California suffers from revenue losses for many critical services, has a massive budget deficit, is increasing its dependence on foreign oil, and has the 3rd highest energy prices in the US. These results are shameful.”
At LinkedIn, Rod Guice shared a letter he wrote “to protest what I believe is blatant state sponsored virtue-signaling.” He explained:
… Continue ReadingI’m weary of the ridiculous anti-Oil & Gas bias I see everywhere here and am sick of the unnecessary over-regulation of California’s honorable Oil & Gas Industry. The state clearly intends to destroy the Industry, as well as the jobs and livelihoods of Californians who depend on it.
Giberson: “I’ve seen a lot of mention of high electric power prices lately. Some blame wind and solar energy, others are blaming retail customer choice (i.e. “restructuring” or less accurately “deregulation”). Mostly it appears the analysts do not take inflation into account. Real retail prices of electricity in the US are on average about where they were a decade ago, and below the recent peak in 2008.”
Bradley: But what about US and state taxpayers footing part of the bill for the duplication of Texas generation? Factor that in and the price spikes when renewables fail and a wounded gas-and-coal industry is left.
And don’t forget–electricity policy reform is not only regulatory restructuring/re-regulation as eliminating the franchise and rate regulation for utilities. A real free market….
Bradley: This study needs to be redone with some of the comments I made above, starting with hassle costs from the whole switchover (which were not reflected in price) and the total costs of wind/solar/batteries not reflected in rates (born by US taxpayers).…
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