Topper and Hopalong Cassidy
CPUC Public Advisor’s Office, 505 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102
SoCalGas GRC Application
A.22-05-015:
I call for a mandatory ‘stop building bill.’
A Wake-Up call for the San Fernando Valley, West Hills California. To our politicians, Southern California Gas Company, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the California Energy Commission
I don’t think our California politicians, or corporate building contractors or big baron tycoons want us to have land.
They want it all to be too expensive to have a small piece of land where the earth is below you and the stars are above you. They have a goal to buy up all the land and force us into apartments.
Shame on our Governor for appointing this commission who have proven they have all lost their marbles.
I got my email message to pay our gas bill. I have lived in California most all my life, some 65 years. I know the bell curve for seasonal gas usage. That is fine by me. Yet today I noticed a double fee. I had to look twice to believe what I saw. I overlooked my yearly average, and this is just insane. It doubled in only one month.
Nothing has changed in our usage of gas. In fact, we got a new energy efficient heater last year and a new washer and dryer this year. Yes, again both are energy efficient.
We have lived in our home for close to 23 years. Our home is 65 years old and was built in 1958.
I called our Southern California Gas Company thinking we had a gas leak.
I finally got through to a nice representative and she told me that the California Energy Commission passed a bill that began January 1, 2023, to raise our fees. Now they want to do it again?
After a pandemic, I feel is still very observable, and during a major storm season here in California they do this to us. This seems insane.
I watch as the big houses are being built smooched next to each other right here in the San Fernando Valley during a drought, pandemic and now an economic recession.
Yes, many ugly apartments are going up and they do this to us. Apartments plugged into every space not leaving any place for our good Earth Mother to breathe.
We need to create and pass a mandatory ‘stop building bill.’ We need to conserve our precious earthly resources now. We can do this by, not building more but less. Taking the time to fix up and recycle old buildings and regenerating and protecting our great historical places. Not run them over with a large bulldozer.
We need to step back and take a look at where and why we are building. Is it for our community? Are we considering the environment or our precious wildlife? Will all these apartments and large homes put a real danger on our gas and water usage? I won’t go into how awful public transportation is here.
All these buildings have caused much more traffic while contributing to pollution and other negative players.
Other countries protect the land and consider the environment and the resources they have by not exploiting their communities.
Building contractors can save and regenerate old buildings and turn to creative conservation energy efficient means of protecting the environment. Yet they are now exploiting our environment for extreme profits, with the permission of our politicians and other bad players, by overbuilding and then raising our gas and water fees.
For example, at Vanowen Street and Canoga Ave in the San Fernando Valley there is a block where once was an open area where two Mexican Restaurants were. Across the street from where once stood Rocketdyne. A wonderful place for family and young people to gather.
Now there are apartments on that same square block. Ugly apartments create more traffic, more pollution and use up more water and gas. Apply that by many more apartments that have been built throughout the area. Not to forget to mention what is planned for the empty Rocketdyne campus.
Viewing an image of Rocketdyne today at a Car Repair Shop in Canoga Park I was amazed by the structure.
The view was showing the perspective where the viewer can see the Verdugo Mountain range in the background. At the time of the picture, 1950s, Rocketdyne is surrounded by farmlands and wild fields. Canoga Ave, Owensmouth and Victory Blvd. are only small two-lane streets.
Vanowen street parallels the buildings as a rough asphalt two lane highway. Rocketdyne looks like a large computer chip plugged into the surrounding farm and open wild land, including a large parking lot filled with cars.
Ironically and sadly today the same once futuristic rocket business is now an empty field where wildflowers and weeds are growing. I hope this will become a museum or open park in Rocketdyne’s memory.
The only things remaining on the Rocketdyne campus are a few old pepper and eucalyptus trees. It is now hopelessly surrounded by cars, apartments, and more ugly apartments. And yesterday I saw a homeless camp of many homeless people set up on Canoga Ave right across from the old Rocketdyne campus.
Once at Valley Circle and Reseda Blvd was a horse stable where I used to go riding in the wild hills above. Now in the last five years massive, large homes have been built there. No sense of the environment or any room for a garden or place for children to play. The natural environment was raped by putting in massive water, electric and gas eating monsters. No sense of the surrounding wildlife. It is very sad to see. All built during a drought, and pandemic when ironically conservation is shamelessly pushed upon those who have lived here responsibly for years. These big homes and apartments are built never-endingly while there are more homeless people in our communities. Something is desperately wrong here.
Who is giving these companies permits to build on the one hand while raising our water and gas fees on the other? Time for you to consider greed, and other bad players. Time for our politicians, Southern California Gas Company, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the California Energy Commission to see this for what it is. Are you part of the problem or do you really want to get down to the job to help us all and create a real answer to the problem?
I call for a mandatory ‘stop building bill.’ So, our politicians, Southern California Gas Company, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the California Energy Commission can take the time to really do something to help us all!
Not just doing the foulest and cruelest thing of all, which is to increase our water and gas fees when we are already finding life too expensive. Not to mention more people moving onto the streets because they cannot afford to rent or lease these ugly apartments and massive homes being built. This is not governance but irresponsible corruption, this is just downright embarrassing.
I have lived here 65 years and never has it been like this. It is unacceptable.
Why am I receiving this notice?
Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) would like to hear from you. You are invited to participate in a public forum, also called a Public Participation Hearing (PPH), about SoCalGas’ 2024 General Rate Case (GRC) application. At the public forum, you can make comments and raise concerns with the CPUC’s Administrative Law Judge (Judge) who is overseeing this rate increase request.
How will the public forums be held?
As part of the CPUC’s ongoing efforts to protect customers and community members, and provide the greatest access, these hearings will be held virtually. Your participation by providing your thoughts on SoCalGas’ request can help the CPUC make an informed decision.
You can also provide written public comments at any time during the proceeding at apps.cpuc.ca.gov/c/A2205015.
Where and when will this/these Public Forum(s) be held?
| March 6, 2023 2:00 p.m. Virtual PPH | Phone Number: 800-857-1917 Passcode: 1767567# Webcast: adminmonitor.com/ca/cpuc |
| March 15, 2023 6:00 p.m. Virtual PPH | Phone Number: 800-857-1917 Passcode: 1767567# Webcast: adminmonitor.com/ca/cpuc |
SoCalGas’ March 6 and March 15, 2023, PPHs will be held virtually, meaning you can participate via internet or via phone using the access details above. Please note: If you need a language interpreter for these virtual hearings, please contact the CPUC’s Public Advisor’s Office using the contact information at the end of this notice at least five business days before the Public Forum. If you wish to make a public comment, you must participate by phone using the phone number above. After calling in and entering the passcode above, press *1, unmute your phone and record your name when prompted. You will be put into a queue in the order you dialed in.
Why is SoCalGas requesting this increase?
On May 16, 2022, SoCalGas filed its 2024 General Rate Case application (A.22-05-015) with the CPUC. The application, as updated in November 2022, requests authority to increase revenues for 2024-2027. SoCalGas is requesting to increase revenues by $738 million (20.2% increase over 2023 expected revenues) in 2024. This application also includes requested increases of $295 million (6.7%) in 2025, $261 million (5.6%) in 2026, and $379 million (7.7%) in 2027. The cumulative requested revenue increase is $4,740 million.
Every four years, SoCalGas is required to file a GRC application with the CPUC to set annual revenues. Annual revenues are the total amount of money a utility is allowed to collect through rates in a given year. The revenues requested in this application pay for the costs of owning and operating gas infrastructure. This application does not include the cost to purchase natural gas for SoCalGas customers and does not determine how revenues are assigned to customer groups. Those are evaluated and authorized in separate proceedings.
SoCalGas is requesting this increase to:
- Continue to invest in its gas delivery system to enhance safety and reliability, and to manage risks that could impact its employees, customers, and/or system;
- Invest in the gas system and technologies that advance clean energy for customers and the environment;
- Continue to invest in the needs of customers by enabling diverse customer service capabilities, and to empower customers with information and tools to better manage their gas use;
- Meet regulatory and compliance requirements driven by system safety and reliability and environmental compliance; and
- Invest in efforts and programs to maintain a highly-trained, qualified, and diverse workforce.
If the CPUC approves this application, SoCalGas will implement new revenues in gas rates beginning on January 1, 2024. This will impact your monthly bill.
How could this affect my monthly gas bill?
If SoCalGas’ rate request is approved by the CPUC, the typical residential monthly bill using 36 therms per month would increase by approximately $8.28 or 13.2% per month in 2024, compared to estimated 2023. Individual customer bills may vary.
How does the rest of this process work?
The assigned Judge will consider proposals and evidence presented during the formal hearing process. The Judge will issue a proposed decision that may adopt SoCalGas’s application, modify it, or deny it. Any CPUC Commissioner may sponsor an alternate decision with a different outcome. The proposed decision, and any alternate decision(s), will be discussed and voted upon by the CPUC Commissioners at a public CPUC Voting Meeting.
Parties to the proceeding are currently reviewing SoCalGas’ application, including the Public Advocates Office. The Public Advocates Office is an independent consumer advocate within the CPUC that represents customers to obtain the lowest possible rate for service consistent with reliable and safe service levels. For more information, please call 1-415-703-1584, email PublicAdvocatesOffice@cpuc.ca.gov, or visit PublicAdvocates.cpuc.ca.gov.
Your participation by providing your thoughts on SoCalGas’ request can help the CPUC make an informed decision.
Where can I get more information?
Contact SoCalGas
Email: centralfiles@semprautilities.com
Mail: Jamie York, 8330 Century Park Court, CP31E, San Diego, CA 92123
A copy of the Application and any related documents may also be reviewed at https://www.socalgas.com/regulatory/2024-general-rate-case.
Contact CPUC
Please visit apps.cpuc.ca.gov/c/A2205015 to submit a comment about this proceeding on the CPUC Docket Card. Here you can also view documents and other public comments related to this proceeding.
If you have questions about CPUC processes, you may contact the CPUC’s Public Advisor’s Office at:
- Phone: 1-866-849-8390 (toll-free) or 1-415-703-2074
- Email: Public.Advisor@cpuc.ca.gov
- Mail: CPUC Public Advisor’s Office, 505 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102
Please reference SoCalGas GRC Application A.22-05-015, in any communications you have with the CPUC regarding this matter.