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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
“With utilities making upgrades to keep us safe from wildfire, we must ensure they identify projects that have the biggest impact and can be completed in the shortest amount of time for the least amount of money,” Sen. Dodd said. “We need the biggest bang for the buck when they do projects. It means we’ll be protecting our communities from wildfires sooner and avoiding unwarranted rate increases as we’re forced to absorb the cost of these improvements.”
Recently, the California Public Utilities Commission approved a $13.5 billion rate increase requested by PG&E to pay for the undergrounding of 1,230 miles of electric utility lines over the next three years.
This is a fraction of the more than 10,000 miles of undergrounding PG&E proposes for the next decade in hopes of reducing the risk of its utility infrastructure sparking wildfires. The cost per mile is estimated at $3 million.
However, there are alternatives such as insulating existing utility cable. Insulating wires costs an estimated $800,000 per mile, and in certain circumstances may be as effective in preventing wildfire ignitions as undergrounding, and achievable in far less time.
“It’s all about maximizing benefit, while minimizing ratepayer costs,” Sen. Dodd said. “Undergrounding lines in high risk areas is important and needs to continue in a targeted manner, but we also need to advance faster, cheaper methods to maximize safety today.”
Sen. Dodd’s Senate Bill 1003 would direct the Office of Electrical Infrastructure Safety to consider the timeliness of investor-owned utility electrical infrastructure upgrades when reviewing the utilities’ wildfire mitigation plans to ensure that the maximum amount of risk from utility sparked wildfires is reduced in the shortest amount of time. SB 1003 cleared the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications committee today with unanimous support and heads next to Appropriations.
“Safety today is not the same as safety in 3 or 10 years,” said Michael Wara, director of climate and energy policy at Stanford University. “This bill will force the utilities to account for the long implementation delays of some strategies as an additional cost to their customers. Delivery of adequate service today — including the ‘service’ of safety — is an important value that all Californians deserve from their electric utilities. This bill will compel utilities to evaluate not just how safe a system they can create in the long run, but will push them to do it as quickly as possible.”
Dodd represents the Third Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Yolo, Sonoma, Solano, Sacramento and Contra Costa counties.
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- Written by: Little Hoover Commission
Members of the public can attend the hearing in person or listen to the hearing by joining online or by phone. Click the URL to join online: https://bit.ly/3Pfq49V. To join via phone, call toll free from the U.S. by dialing (888) 788-0099. The webinar ID is 960 2640 8729. The password is 189925. We highly recommend members of the public access the hearing through the Zoom app. Please visit the Zoom website for instructions on how to download the Zoom app onto a computer or smartphone.
Public comments will be heard at the end of the public hearing and at the start of the business meeting, and will be limited to three minutes per speaker and to a total of 60 minutes. Witnesses may be taken out of order to accommodate speakers and to maintain a quorum. The hearing or business meeting may be cancelled without notice.
The Commission may act on any item listed on the hearing agenda below. Agenda items may be taken out of order to accommodate speakers and to maintain a quorum. The hearing may be cancelled without notice.
If you need reasonable accommodation due to a disability, please contact the Little Hoover Commission at (916) 445-2125 or
Hearing on California’s Homeowners’ Insurance Market (Part 1)
10 a.m.
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Join In Person
Coastal Hearing Room
CalEPA Headquarters Building
1001 I Street, Sacramento, California 95814
Join online or by phone via Zoom
URL: https://bit.ly/3Pfq49V
Phone: (888) 788-0099
Webinar ID: 960-2640-8729
Passcode: 189925
Public Hearing
1. Reflections on California’s Home Insurance Market
Dave Jones, Insurance Commissioner, Emeritus; Director, Climate Risk Initiative, Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, UC Berkeley School of Law
Carmen Balber, Executive Director, Consumer Watchdog
Amy Bach, Executive Director, United Policyholders
Rex Frazier, President, Personal Insurance Federation of California
Public Comment (3 minutes per speaker, limited to 30 minutes total)
Business Meeting
Public Comment - 3 minutes per speaker, limited to 30 minutes total
Business Meeting Minutes from Feb. 8, 2024 meeting
Consideration of draft report on the California Environmental Quality Act
Commission Elections
Election of Chair
Election of Vice Chair
Project and Meeting Schedule
Notice of Remote Participation
Commissioner Jose Atilio Hernandez will attend both meetings remotely.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Legislation advanced on Monday from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, that would grant power wheelchair users the right to have their own equipment repaired, eliminating delays that could leave them immobilized while reducing costs to one of California’s most vulnerable populations.
“Enhancing the quality of life for people with mobility issues is the focus of this bill,” Sen. Dodd said. “The proposal allows power wheelchair users to get their wheelchairs fixed in an efficient and timely manner when things go wrong. Ultimately, it ensures those who rely on wheelchairs can be operating as soon as possible.”
Under existing law, manufacturers of power wheelchairs are not required to provide information or replacement parts directly to consumers or independent repair shops.
Colorado became the first state in the nation to address the issue, adopting a right-to-repair laws that granted wheelchair owners and independent shops access to parts, manufacturer software, specialized tools and other items needed to ensure timely and affordable wheelchair repair.
In California, Sen. Dodd has introduced Senate Bill 1384, which would ensure the same right to repair for California wheelchair users and streamline the process for getting complex rehabilitation technology repaired.
Among other things, it requires independent repair shops to require written notice to consumers before conducting repairs and establishes guidelines on what parts can be replaced.
The bill passed the Senate’s Business and Professions committee today with unanimous, bipartisan support. It is supported by advocates including Sacramento disability rights activist and wheelchair user Russell Rawlings.
“If you have a power chair and are using it daily, it needs regular maintenance,” Rawlings said. “But the industry as it stands has very little interest in making repairs. There can be months if not longer of wait time. This bill seeks to change that by making it easier for owners and smaller shops to fill the repair need. Also, power chairs are increasingly controlled by software that is currently restricted to a small number of vendors. Owners having access to these tools would enable more freedom and ability to control their driving experiences.”
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- Written by: Lakeport Elks
LAKEPORT, Calif. — Lakeport Elks Lodge 2704 applied for and recently received $11,500 for three Community Improvement Grants.
Three Lake County nonprofits which meet the mission of the Elks National Foundation to “help Elks build stronger communities.”
A $3,500 Gratitude Grant will help Operation Tango Mike send monthly care packages to deployed troops.
A $4,000 grant allows Lake Family Resource Center to provide services to child, youth, parenting, and family development, community violence prevention, intervention and treatment. Lastly, it will help maintain the group’s family safe shelters.
The third grant, for $4,000, will help the Upper Lake Senior Center to upgrade its community kitchen to meet its local food poverty needs.
Like the Lakeport Elks donors, if the local clubs step up with either financial, volunteer or “elbow grease,” our Lake County community benefits.
The Elks offer their thanks to Ginny Craven of Operation Tango Mike for helping active service members and Lisa Morrow of Lake Family Resource Center for stepping up to help Lake County families and individuals.
