Countdown to public power
 	 		 		
Countdown to public power | October 17, 2001 | SFBG News
 		 		 		 		
Reason no. 8 to vote for Proposition F and Measure I WITH JUST 
THREE weeks to go before the Nov. 6 election, here's the eighth 
of the top 10 reasons to vote for the two public power 
initiatives on the ballot: Proposition F (the city-run water and 
power agency) and Measure I (the municipal utility district).
 						
The PG bankruptcy reorganization plan For years Pacific Gas and 
Electric Co. has been pushing for less government regulation and 
higher rates (see " [http://www.sfbg.com/News/35/29/29ogpge.html] 
," 4/18/01). The company's proposed reorganization plan – 
submitted last month as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy 
proceeding – pushes this agenda even further.
 						
In its plan, PG proposes that it essentially sell its remaining 
power plants to itself – creating a new, unregulated arm of 
Pacific Gas and Electric Corp. to focus solely on power 
generation. By giving control of the plants to an unregulated 
subsidiary, PG would free itself up to raise generation prices to 
match those of Dynegy, Mirant Corp., and Duke Energy. That would 
certainly help PG pay off its creditors – at the expense of its 
customers. The end result: even higher rates. (Rachel Brahinsky)
 						
For more information on the public power campaign go to 
www.sfbmud.org. For our (new) listings of MUD candidate campaign 
events go to [http://www.sfbg.com] .
 						
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