Ratepayers struggle with cost of living as Qld councils increase rates to alleviate financial pressures
A coffee date in town was once a weekly treat for Fe and Eddie Monteiu — now it’s…
#NewsBeep #News #Headlines #alisonsmith #AU #Australia #council #Finances #funding #grants #hike #localgovernment #localgovernmentassociationofqueensland #NorthBurnett #northburnettregionalcouncil #ratehike #ratepayers #rates #Redlands #sunstainability #unsustainability #WideBay
https://www.newsbeep.com/163490/
Broncos offer to provide Denver Water land to replace what it is giving up for stadium
Under a deal reached with the Denver Broncos, Denver Water may feel less pressure to acquire the nearly…
#NFL #DenverBroncos #Denver #Broncos #burnhamyard #denverwater #eminentdomain #Football #newstadium #ratepayers #realestate
https://www.rawchili.com/nfl/358945/
#Federal charges against key participants involved in #Oakland #Waste processing proposal at old #Army base not helping progress of project amidst detritus, disputes, bureaucratic bogus biz bs, and constant contractual crap
Essentially article reveals "#California Waste Solutions" is not necessarily providing solutions, but local govt is pretty good at waste?
While city and developer feud, both fail to follow thru and serve #WestOakland #Community, as residents, #ratepayers and #taxpayers suffer during decades delayed deferred dreams of improved #recycling facility that just seems to #recycle hopes and turn them into more cockroach attracting stink.
https://oaklandside.org/2025/07/11/california-waste-solutions-fbi-oakland-army-base/
Months after wrapping up a multi-million dollar initiative to harden Houston's energy infrastructure after Hurricane Beryl left the city in the dark, CenterPoint Energy is now seeking to invest nearly $6 billion in the grid.
#EnergyEnvironment #News #Centerpoint #CenterPointEnergy #Ratepayers #ResiliencyInitative
The plan comes months after the company wrapped up similar projects aimed at improving the city's energy resilience, and just days after the company said that Houston-area customers will see lower rates on monthly bills after settling its 2024 rate case after months of negotiations.
#DiabloCanyon #NuclearPowerPlant brings #profits for PG&E, deadly risk for residents [and the #environment]
Tina Landis
August 19, 2024
"Despite opposition from residents and #environmental organizations, California legislators passed #SenateBill846 in 2022 to extend the life of the dangerous, aging Diablo Canyon #nuclear facility.
"Located on the Central Coast surrounded by several #fault lines, one has to question why a nuclear facility was placed in an #earthquake zone to begin with, much less allowing it to continue to operate well past its retirement date. The world witnessed what can happen to a coastal nuclear facility in an earthquake zone when the 2011 #Fukushima disaster triggered a meltdown that displaced nearly half a million residents, with vast amounts of #RadioactiveWater still being released into the ocean today.
"As long as Diablo Canyon remains open, Californians live with the constant risk of suffering the same type of disaster.
"From its inception, Diablo Canyon had little public support. Protests occurred regularly during its construction, and thousands were arrested for #CivilDisobedience actions in 1981.
"In the 1970s and 1980s, California’s three largest utilities spent billions of dollars building dangerous and costly nuclear plants like Diablo Canyon, which resulted in skyrocketing rates for customers. Big industry fought back against these increased energy costs, which resulted in deregulation bills consisting of multi-billion dollar #bailouts to the state’s utility companies to cover their costly investments in nuclear.
"Today, the last remaining nuclear plant operating in the state is still draining billions in funds that could be used for safe, #renewable energy development. To keep Diablo Canyon running 5 years past its retirement date is expected to cost $8 billion to $12 billion. A federal aid package of $1.1 billion will contribute to some of those costs – meaning federal #taxpayers’ money – while the remaining billions will be passed on to #California #ratepayers.
"Despite being run by PG&E and only generating power for its territory, customers of #SouthernCaliforniaEdison and #SanDiegoGasAndElectric will help cover the remaining costs of the Diablo extension. Edison bills will increase by around $1.25 a month and SDG&E by 87 cents a month, while PG&E customers are expected to chip in $2.07 a month – and that’s just for the first year. Critics warn that costs are likely to increase in coming years to keep the plant running, and that’s on top of already skyrocketing PG&E rates that have doubled over the last decade. And if PG&E collects more funds than are needed for Diablo’s operations, they get to keep it!
"In 2022, when legislators pushed this through #SB846, the excuse of energy shortages was used due to pandemic-related supply chain issues and massive #wildfires. But today, there is plenty of energy being produced with increased #solar and #battery storage capacity that has kept the lights on even during this summer’s unprecedented heat waves driving up demand. The California Public Utility Commission’s own reporting shows that an additional 18,500 megawatts of new resources were added to the grid between 2020 and 2024, which is enough to power around 14 million homes. Another 11,000 megawatts will be added by 2028.
"Nuclear has the third highest lifecycle emissions of all energy sources after scrubbed #coal fired plants and natural gas – meaning it is far from being zero-emission. It also creates the unresolved issue of the #RadioactiveWaste which remains dangerous for tens of thousands to millions of years.
"Keeping the Diablo facility running will only hold back further development of safe and truly low-carbon, low cost renewable sources like solar and #wind energy.
"So why isn’t Diablo Canyon being decommissioned? The short answer is that #capitalism must ensure continued profits for the #InvestorClass.
"SB 846 authorized Diablo’s extension through 2030, and gave PG&E a $1.4 billion loan for the for-profit utility to facilitate the plant’s extension. #GovernorNewsom facilitated another transfer of taxpayer dollars to PG&E through an additional $400 million loan from the state’s general fund, included in the recent budget deal. Critics warn that these 'loans' will never be repaid, meaning residents will be fully subsidizing the Diablo extension – from federal and state tax dollars to our utility fees.
"But there is a way out. SB 846 allows the #CPUC to retire the plant earlier than 2030 if sufficient levels of new renewable zero-carbon energy resources exist, are interconnected, and meet demand, which is the case.
"CPUC has a long track record of serving PG&E’s interests, so intervention by the commission is unlikely. One example of many that demonstrates their close relationship: CPUC is not requiring PG&E to show how much of our utility bill actually goes to the Diablo extension, but instead lumps the cost in with 'public purpose programs,' making it impossible to determine.
"While communities are demanding an early shutdown of Diablo, PG&E is currently applying for a 20-year license renewal from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission [#NRC] for the facility, which is expected to be approved. This would mean customers will foot the bill to keep this dangerous nuclear facility running through 2045, far beyond the original expiration dates of 2024 and 2025.
"CPUC has proven their unwavering support time and again for PG&E’s monopoly control over the state’s energy system at the expense of residents’ safety and affordable rates. The Diablo Canyon nuclear plant is just another mechanism to squeeze ratepayers and line the pockets of shareholders who live far away from the dangers posed by this aging facility. Only a public takeover of this #corrupt utility can win clean, safe and affordable energy for all."
#PGAndE #RethinkNotRestart #NuclearCorruption #NuclearBailouts #RenewablesNow #NoNukes
#DiabloCanyonNuclearPlant
#NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies #California #WaterIsLife #OceansAreLife
Despite opposition from residents and environmental organizations, California legislators passed Senate Bill 846 in 2022 to extend the life of the dangerous, aging Diablo Canyon nuclear facility. #climatechange #climatecrisis
The highest priced MW/h rates ever! #Vogtle #NuclearMadness.
#Ratepayers in #Georgia will NEVER see the the benefits of #RenewableEnergy and #BESS as they will be paying for this #albatross for centuries to come.
Don't succumb to #NuclearMadness. #JustSayNo.
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=61963&src=email
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