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Written by: Editor

Published: 16 June 2008

Created: 16 June 2008

Last Updated: 16 June 2008

SACRAMENTO – State Senator Patricia Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa) has introduced new legislation, Senate Bill 623, that would require each retail dispenser of motor fuel to display the price differential between transactions paid for with cash and with credit cards.

Californians have purchased, on average, about 16 billion gallons of gasoline per year. As of May 2008, the average price of a gallon of gasoline had topped $4 per gallon in the state – an increase of more than 69 percent over the last 12 months.

Some gasoline stations are offering different prices for gasoline based on the method of purchase, with some station owners discounting the price per gallon for cash transactions.

Credit cards can add about 2 to 3 percent to the cost of the transaction – a higher cost paid for the “convenience” using a credit card at the pump.

In many, if not most, instances, the cost differentials are not adequately disclosed to the public.

Wiggins describes SB 623 – which will be heard in the Assembly Business and Professions Committee on June 24 – as a “consumer information disclosure” measure.

“Drivers should be clearly shown what they’re paying, particularly with prices at the pump rising meteorically,” Wiggins said. “And gas station owners must do a better job of telling consumers that they will pay a lower price for gas if they fill up using cash instead of plastic.”

Wiggins represents California’s large Second Senate District, which is made up of portions or all of six counties: Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Solano and Sonoma. Visit her Web site at http://dist02.casen.govoffice.com/.

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Written by: Editor

Published: 15 June 2008

Created: 13 June 2008

Last Updated: 15 June 2008

LAKE COUNTY – Jovita Carranza, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), has announced that low-interest loans are available to small businesses that have suffered financial losses due to the closure of the commercial salmon fishing season on the California coast.

By declaring a disaster, Deputy Administrator Carranza’s action makes low interest Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) available immediately to help meet financial needs caused by the closure of the 2008 salmon fishing season that began April 10. Carranza’s action responded to a May 28, 2008 request from Henry Renteria, Director of California’s Office of Emergency Services on behalf of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The declaration covers the California counties of Alameda, Del Norte, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Monterey, Napa, Plumas, San Benito, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama and Trinity; and the neighboring Oregon counties of Curry and Josephine.

SBA is offering working capital loans of up to $1.5 million at an interest rate of 4 percent with terms up to 30 years.

“SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact. These loans can provide vital economic assistance to the fishing and fishing-dependent businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing,” said Alfred E. Judd, director of SBA’s Disaster Field Operations Center-West.

“SBA customer service representatives will be in the affected communities along the California coast to meet with business owners and answer questions about SBA’s EIDL assistance, issue loan applications, explain the application process, and help them complete their applications,” Judd said.

Some eligible business owners include: small businesses engaged in salmon fishing in the waters affected by the closure (employees or crew members are not small businesses and are not eligible), and small businesses dependent on the catching or sale of salmon, including suppliers of fishing gear and fuel, docks, boatyards, processors, wholesalers, shippers, and retailers, and other small businesses dependent on revenue from the above.

“We recognize that some affected businesses may be reluctant to seek a loan to meet their immediate financial needs, but we encourage each business to learn how an SBA disaster loan may help them recover from the closure of the fishing season,” Judd emphasized. Business owners may also obtain loan information by calling SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955. Hearing impaired individuals may call toll-free, 800-877-8339.

The deadline to apply for these loans is March 3, 2009.

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Written by: Editor

Published: 13 June 2008

Created: 13 June 2008

Last Updated: 13 June 2008

SAN FRANCISCO – Continuing its momentum of adding utility-scale solar power to its energy mix, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. announced this week that it has entered into two contracts with San Joaquin Solar LLC, a subsidiary of Martifer Renewables Electricity LLC, for a combined 106.8 megawatts (MW) of solar thermal-biofuel hybrid power.

Located near Coalinga, the solar-biofuel projects will deliver a total of 700 gigawatt hours (GWh) annually of renewable electricity to PG&E customers throughout northern and central California.

“This hybrid technology combines two renewable resources abundant in California – solar energy and biofuel from the Central Valley,” said Fong Wan, vice president of energy procurement at PG&E. “We will continue to add these types of innovative renewable energy sources to our power mix as we work to provide our customers with some of the cleanest energy in the nation and meet our state’s climate change goals.”

Martifer’s renewable hybrid projects combine Luz solar thermal trough technology and steam turbines powered by biomass fuel to produce hybrid solar-biofuel renewable electricity. The incorporation of biofuel increases the overall production of renewable power by allowing for around-the-clock production of clean energy, even at night or when sunlight is not at its strongest.

Each hybrid project will require 250,000 tons of biofuel annually, to be supplied from a combination of locally-produced agricultural wastes, green wastes and livestock manure. These projects are expected to begin operation in 2011.

“Martifer and its development partners have designed a creative renewable energy system that is cost-competitive with conventional generation technologies,” said Ricardo Abecassis, president of Martifer Renewables Solar. “We expect these and future Martifer projects will increase the level of clean, affordable, renewable energy in California while at the same time alleviating the pressure on agricultural producers and municipalities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.”

“The City of Coalinga is delighted to welcome this renewable energy project which will benefit the environment and create local jobs,” said Coalinga Mayor Trish Hill. “In addition to increasing the amount of clean, renewable energy for our residents, it will help to improve air quality through utilizing locally-sourced biomass, including livestock manure.”

The contracts filed today with the California Public Utilities Commission are part of PG&E’s broader renewable energy portfolio. Since 2002, PG&E has entered into contracts for over 2,500 MW of renewable power. California law requires each investor-owned utility to increase the share of eligible renewable generating resources in its electric power portfolio to 20 percent by 2010. PG&E has made contractual commitments to have over 20 percent of its future deliveries from renewables. For 2008, PG&E expects to have 14 percent of its energy delivered from renewable sources.

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