Poor CPUC decision I’m a resident of Benicia who lives just up the hill from the Valero refinery on Lindo Street, and the fact that the CPUC’s decision NOT to penalize PG&E for its “inadequate training of operations personnel and slow response” is ludicrous. In fact, the CPUC should be penalized for making such a […]
Letter: Poor CPUC decision
CPUC will not punish PG&E for 2017 power outage at Valero
Despite conclusions by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) that a failed Pacific Gas & Electric component was responsible for the power outage and flareup at the Valero Benicia Refinery last year, the regulatory agency will not penalize the electric company if it moves forward with corrective actions. In May 2017, a power outage occurred […]
CPUC: 2017 Valero outage result of PG&E mistakes regarding electric component
A report by the California Public Utilities Commission said the power outage at the Valero Benicia Refinery which led to a flareup and shutdown of the Industrial Park in 2017 was the result of a failed voltage transformer at Pacific Gas & Electric’s (PG&E) Bahia Substation and not providing adequate training or documents related to […]
Council denies mayor’s request for ISO rehearing
In yet another marathon meeting that lasted almost until midnight, the Benicia City Council voted 3-2 to reject Mayor Elizabeth Patterson’s request to rehear the council’s June 19 vote on reviewing a draft Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO) for the city. The matter will not be heard again until November at the earliest. Patterson first requested […]
Letters: ISO rehearing vote
Well-done, Mayor Patterson! I was very happy to read the article “Mayor requests rehearing of Industrial Safety Ordinance vote” in the July 13 edition of Benicia Herald. I applaud our mayor’s determination to reopen review of this critical issue before the proposed November date! I was very surprised to learn that staff reports had not […]
Mayor requests rehearing of Industrial Safety Ordinance vote
At its June 19 meeting, the Benicia City Council voted 3-2 to not take any further action on Mayor Elizabeth Patterson’s request for an Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO) in Benicia until November. Now Patterson is requesting a rehearing on the item, which is on the agenda for Tuesday’s council meeting. Following a flaring incident […]
Letter: Why wouldn’t people want renewable energy?
Why wouldn’t people want renewable energy? I have been reading a string of comments on an earlier letter online and am having a hard time understand the resistance there is to renewable energy by some members of our community. One writer says renewable energy is only 28 percent efficient and to wait until it is […]
Letter: Not a simple issue
Not a simple issue As a citizen of Benicia who lives close to a refinery I, like many other Benicians, would simply like to know what is in the air that we breathe. At the June 19 City Council meeting, the council missed an excellent opportunity to get us that information. Valero clearly does not […]
Letters: Clean energy, ISO and cannabis
California’s clean energy leadership is needed On July 3, the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee will be voting on SB 100 which would mandate that California utilities produce 100 percent clean energy by 2045. The final Assembly vote in August requires a fifty percent majority and Gov. Brown’s signature. Moving California toward 100 percent emission-free […]