Source: CEB News | By Mary Katherine O’Connor

Mark Toney, the executive director of The Utility Reform Network (TURN), a clean and affordable energy advocacy nonprofit, remembers how the Eaton Fire changed the narrative around the Wildfire Fund. “It is not sustainable to be coming back to ratepayers every few years,” he recalls saying at the time. “Every time it's a big fire.” 

As utilities, insurers and residents struggle to find ways to mitigate and pay for wildfire damages, California policymakers are seeking new models and strategies that the state could pursue to mitigate damage, facilitate faster post-fire recovery plans and redistribute the cost burdens from fires, across stakeholders. 

Source: Communications Daily | By Philip Athey

The Utility Reform Network (TURN) called the joint proposal “a giant step backward for consumers” that would “widen the digital divide,” even with the “small number” of fiber deployments that it includes. In comments filed Friday, TURN also pointed out a number of disagreements that Cal Advocates and AT&T seem to have even within their proposal, including whether the “relief areas” should be geographically contiguous, whether there should be extra enforcement mechanisms beyond what's in the proposal, and whether California Lifeline participation should be perpetual or limited to just five years.

Independent consumer advocacy organizations called on the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to reject a proposal that would allow telecom providers in the state to relinquish their carrier of last resort (COLR) status in exchange for fiber expansion in areas where broadband is already largely available.  

Source: Communications Daily | By Philip Athey

However, Alexandra Green, a telecom regulatory attorney for The Utility Reform Network (TURN), pointed out that Charter has no commitment to lower prices, even if the economics of the merger would allow them to. She also said during her cross-examination of Falk that while Charter has implied that the growing customer base would lead to more Charter employees, the company has no commitment to growing its workforce post-merger.  

After four days of testimony from 10 witnesses, the California Public Utilities Commission evidentiary hearing on the $34.5 billion Charter/Cox deal ended Thursday, inching the commission toward a final decision on the merger.  The Charter/Cox transaction has already received approval from the FCC and DOJ, as well as regulators in New York and Connecticut, leaving the CPUC as the last barrier to Charter becoming the largest U.S. ISP and cable company. 

Source: MLex.com | By Wesley Brown

TURN questioned Dave Rodrian, Charter's group vice president of WiFi and Connected Home, about Charter’s Invincible WiFi, which works to continue customers’ internet access during a power outage, as well as its limitations on customers moving equipment and using the feature.  TURN also keyed in on Charter’s promotional offerings and the company’s transparency regarding consumer pricing once a promotional period ends.

Executives from Charter Communications faced questions Monday about the company's services during emergencies and commitments to services for low-income customers at the start of a week-long evidentiary hearing in front of an administrative law judge for the California Public Utilities Commission.  Charter's acquisition of Cox Communications hinges on final approval of the deal in California, where the hearing kicked off by focusing on the company's dealings and how they could impact California residents.

Source: Energy And Policy Institute | By Matt Kasper

TURN wrote: “FERC should adopt standard transparency requirements for utilities seeking rate recovery of industry association dues, including disclosure of the association’s costs for the following NARUC cost categories: (1) Legislative Advocacy, (2) Legislative Policy Research, (3) Regulatory Advocacy, (4) Advertising, (5) Marketing, and (6) Public Relations. These requirements would enable the regulator to ensure that ratepayers pay only for costs that confer clear benefits on ratepayers, and do not pay for the association’s political activities or public policy advocacy.”

TURN referenced NARUC’s audits of the trade associations that occurred briefly in the 1980s and 1990s. The audits informed state regulators how to treat trade association costs by using those various cost category details. NARUC no longer conducts the audits, nor do the trade associations provide those breakdowns.

Federal energy regulators voted yesterday to keep in place accounting rules that allow monopoly utilities to charge customers for trade association activities, including political advocacy. The decision rejects calls to reform accounting rules and protect customers from footing the bill for these expenses. 

Source: The Energy Show | By Barry Cinnamon

Mark: one of the things we are looking at is 'what’s the energy affordability crisis look like?'  About 20% of all customers, five million customers in California are behind on their bills.  Another indication is how many families get shut off; in the past year, over 150,000 households had their electricity shut off because they fell behind on their bills.  Almost 40,000 were never reconnected.  A crisis also looks at what’s happening to small businesses that are shutting their doors because of electricity prices.  One of the things that TURN does is we have an alliance with large industries, agriculture, small businesses and other industrial sectors.  These businesses get hit double every month so the price of electricity is baked into grocery store prices so everyone feels it over and over again in everything we buy.

Barry: so if you’re wondering why your energy bills are so high, then I suggest you turn to TURN; my guest on this week’s show is Mark Toney, he’s the Executive Director of TURN.  I would characterize him as a thinking bulldog when it comes to solving the structural problems of high energy costs.  Welcome to the show, Mark!

Source: The San Diego Tribune | By Rob Nikolewski

Mark Toney, executive director of The Utility Reform Network, a consumer advocacy group based in Oakland, fears the $7 billion figure “could be a low-ball estimate” compared to what the proposed upgrades will eventually cost.  “We’re worried that the affordability crisis is going to get worse, not better,” Toney said.

A draft proposal from the California Independent Systems Operator, which manages most of the state’s power grid, recommends $7 billion in transmission build-outs over the next decade to help the Golden State achieve its clean energy goals and meet growing demand for electricity.  The plan recommends 38 transmission upgrades to allow the grid to handle increased load growth over the next 10 years — driven in large part by data centers for artificial intelligence, the electrification of buildings and further adoption of electric vehicles in the transportation sector.

Source: KQED | By Laura Klivans

“It’s just kind of shocking how bad the deal was for ratepayers,” said Matthew Freedman, an attorney with The Utility Reform Network, who was consulted by the authors of the UC Santa Barbara Report, and has been raising the same concerns for years.  

California’s last working nuclear power plant cleared the final hurdle this month to keep producing energy. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission deemed the plant safe and environmentally sound to operate until 2045.  But under current California law, the plant only has until 2030, unless the state legislature takes action, a conversation that is gaining momentum in Sacramento.

Source: Broadband Breakfast | By Jake Neenan

A set of advocacy groups including The Utility Reform Network and the CPUC’s Public Advocates Office asked the agency to hold evidentiary hearings on a number of issues, including Charter upgrading and expanding its network after the deal, the merger’s effect on consumer privacy and Charter’s diversity commitments.

California’s telecom regulator is set to hold evidentiary hearings this month in its review of the $34.5 billion Charter-Cox merger. The hearings are set for April 20-24.  The California Public Utilities Commission is the last remaining agency that needs to clear the deal. The Federal Communications Commission, Justice Department, and states like New York and Connecticut have cleared the transaction.

Source: The Los Angeles Times | By Blanca Begert

“They picked a really high number for their incentives that was out of whack with what they could have earned,” said Matt Freedman, an attorney with the Utility Reform Network consumer advocacy group, who reviewed and provided the authors feedback on the report.

A new report alleges Pacific Gas & Electric inflated costs when it requested a loan for Diablo Canyon, potentially creating a $658.6-million cost to taxpayers if lawmakers don’t intervene.  If ratepayer fees for Diablo Canyon were eliminated from 2027-30, experts say, California utility customers could save an estimated $1.84 billion in controversial subsidies.

Source: TURN | By Opinion by Jalal Awan at TURN

State utilities are spending billions of dollars every year to maintain and upgrade California’s natural gas distribution system just as we’re trying to wean ourselves off of this fossil fuel energy source that contributes to climate change.  One possible solution emerged from the state legislature and received Gov. Gavin Newsom’s blessing when he signed Senate Bill 1221 into law in September 2024. 

The bill directs utilities to create “decarbonization zones” — designated neighborhoods where aging gas pipelines would be retired and residents helped to switch to electric appliances like heat pumps and induction stoves, funded by the savings from avoided pipeline replacements. The California Public Utilities Commission faces a monumental task in implementing this promising idea, but early evidence reveals how difficult it can be for regulators to uphold ratepayers’ interests when utilities control the data and have their own financial priorities.

Source: The Press Democrat | By Marisa Endicott

“I wouldn’t be surprised if what gets decided this year will impact a generation,” said Mark Toney, executive director of The Utility Reform Network, who was heavily involved in shaping SB 254.

The release of another new study on the impacts of natural disasters in California may not normally get more than a shrug of wider public attention.  But a pending report out of the California Earthquake Authority looks to be more consequential than most as it seeks to answer the urgent, loaded question of how the state will address mounting and rippling costs of catastrophic events and who will pay.

Source: The Orange County Register | By Teri Sforza

Many of these legislative proposals are championed by The Utility Reform Network, which recently sponsored a poll that found an overwhelming majority of Californians — 81% — are somewhat or very concerned about their electric bills.  “The latest earnings reports make one thing painfully clear: while California families struggle with skyrocketing utility bills, investor-owned utilities are posting billions in profits,” said Mark Toney, TURN’s executive director, in a prepared statement.

The human dressed as Monopoly’s Moneybags man tossed fake dollar bills skyward.  “SO CAL EDISON SATAN,” proclaimed one protest sign. “STOP utility greed,” “ANAHEIM PUBLIC UTILITY CUSTOMERS PAY 58% LESS THAN EDISON CUSTOMERS” and “HONK IF U HATE SCE,” said others.  The honks came fast and furious in front of Irvine City Hall on Thursday.

Source: CBS 8 | By Brian White

TURN is advocating for stricter repair timelines and penalties, while warning that AT&T is pushing to loosen those requirements.  “TURN is filing comments and fighting for rules for AT&T and other companies to have faster response time when the service goes out and put teeth in those so they would have to pay bigger fines," Toney said. "That’s what motivates a big company like AT&T. You['ve] got to hit them in the pocketbook or else they have no motivation.”

The outage was caused by storm damage in February, when high winds knocked out key infrastructure. According to AT&T, two critical relay towers were severely damaged. While some areas in Julian have seen service restored, more remote communities like Shelter Valley and Butterfield continue to face prolonged disruptions.  For residents, the lack of reliable communication is more than an inconvenience; it’s a serious safety concern.

Source: Imperial Valley Press | By Staff Report

The legislative package has earned the backing of both consumer and environmental advocates, including The Utility Reform Network (TURN) and Net Zero California.  “Senator Padilla’s bills include critical protections to ensure that data center development will benefit the electrical grid, consumers, and the environment,” said Matthew Freedman, staff attorney for TURN.

Two California State Senate committees took a major step this week toward ensuring that the rapid expansion of "Big Tech" infrastructure doesn't come at the expense of local families’ utility bills or the environment.

Source: News from the Office of Steve Padilla |

The legislative package is co-sponsored by ratepayer advocacy group TURN and environmental advocacy group Net-Zero California.  “California needs clear, meaningful and ambitious policies to address the rapid growth of data centers,” said Matthew Freedman, Staff Attorney at The Utility Reform Network (TURN). “Senator Padilla’s bills include critical protections to ensure that data center development will benefit the electrical grid, consumers and the environment.”

This week, two key committees in the California State Senate passed Senate Bills 886 and 887, two measures authored by Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego) designed to protect California ratepayers from the potential increased costs and environmental damage caused by data centers.

Source: Communications Daily | By Philip Athey

Securus argued that it did submit some cost data that was previously filed with the FCC while the federal regulator was working on national price caps for IPCS, but the accuracy of that data has been questioned, including by the Utilities Reform Network (TURN).  “By its own terms, the PD [proposed decision says] that this submission was not sufficiently detailed to substantiate Securus’ claims,” TURN’s filing said. "As TURN observed in reply comments on the staff proposal, the FCC determined that the information submitted by Securus was 'imperfect and cannot simply be taken at face value.’"

Prison phone service providers called for the California Public Utilities Commission to reject a new rule that would lower the cap on rates they can charge for intrastate calls by inmates in the state. The final vote on the rule is set for CPUC's March 19 meeting.

Source: CalMatters | By Sam Uden and Matthew Freedman (TURN Staff)

But with thoughtful planning, data centers can be developed in a manner that actually benefits ratepayers, improves grid reliability and minimizes environmental harms. California should establish clear standards for affordable and clean data center development — and offer it as a model for the rest of the country. 

California’s sky-high electricity rates risk making monthly bills unaffordable for families and the state less economically competitive and less of a global hub for technological innovation.  Last year, state leaders made progress on reforms aimed at improving energy affordability.  But the expansion of energy-intensive data centers to fuel the boom in artificial intelligence is challenging those gains.

Source: Axios | By Shawna Chen

Public power, such as the type SF is seeking, comes with trade-offs, said Mark Toney, executive director of the Oakland-based Utility Reform Network.  It can mean more local control and lower costs over time, but it doesn't guarantee better management, he added, pointing to thescandal-plagued Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (the nation's largest municipal utility).

State Sen. Scott Wiener has introduced a bill that could make it easier for San Francisco to break away from PG&E, though major questions remain about cost, timing and potential ripple effects. Frustration with PG&E has been building for years amid rate hikes and outages. Things reached a new boiling point after a December blackout affected roughly one-third of the city, renewing pressure for a publicly run utility in SF.

Source: The Los Angeles Times | By Blanca Begert

 Assemblymember Christopher M. Ward (D-San Diego), who in 2022 authored a bill to create a more effective community solar program, said the state needs to double its annual solar installation rate to reach that goal and is not on track to do that using only large utility-scale solar farms and individual rooftop arrays.  “We need mid-scale community solar,” he said. He and a coalition of environmental groups, solar developers and the Utility Reform Network, a ratepayer advocacy group, worked to put his 2022 law into effect. They coalesced around requiring utilities to pay community solar developers and customers for the electricity they feed to the grid using the same formula they use for people who install rooftop solar.

Community solar, in which residents get a discount on their bills for subscribing as a group to small solar arrays nearby, was designed to help low-income residents, apartment dwellers, renters and others who can’t put panels on their own roofs.  Over the last 11 years, New York, Maine, Minnesota, Massachusetts and other states have built thriving community solar programs. But California has built, at most, only 34 projects since 2015, and experts say that’s a generous accounting.