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SACRAMENTO BEE ARTICLES
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SACRAMENTO MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT REMOVES 3% SURCHARGE AS PROMISED LINK
LMUD Board refuses to give ratepayers relief
*LMUD promised to remove the $ .035 surcharge in January/2002, but now refuses to give relief to the ratepayers.
SMUD rates to drop in spring1/31/04
"Electric bills in most of Sacramento County should go down a bit this spring, when a special 3 percent surcharge is removed on schedule, directors of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District have concluded.
Although they had toyed with keeping the levy in place, SMUD directors say they now plan to confirm formally at their Thursday meeting that they'll stick to their vision of a temporary surcharge.
"Given what's happening here in Sacramento with the state budget, the fact that people can get a little bit lower utility bill sends a message that people are pay attention," said Bill Slaton, vice president of the SMUD board.
For an average household that uses 723 kilowatt hours a month and pays about $70, electric bills will drop by about $2 a month after the surcharge expires on May 2.
The surcharge was part of a 22 percent rate hike-the first increase in just over 10 years-that was imposed by SMUD during the energy crisis. At the time, directors described it as an average 16 percent increase plus two temporary, 3 percent surcharges-one to offset poor hydroelectric supplies and the other to last three year to rebuild an emergency fund.
The special hydroelectric surcharge was lifted in 2002, as planned, when precipiation came close to expected targets.
INDICTMENT ALLEGES MAJOR CONSPIRACYSACBEE, 12/19/03
"The San Joaquin County Sheriff, Dunn settled into a Caltrans conference room in Sacramento on April 9, 2001, to talk a little business with some energy executives who wanted to build a power plant in Stockton."
"And by the time the meeting broke up, the energy officials had agreed to pay the trio up to $2.5 million if they could grease the skids and get the plant approved, the indictment says."
"In July 2002, the indictment states, Dunn had begun to use his office to impede the FBI probe, allegedly lying to agents about his comments to the Board of Supervisors on the Calpine deal"
Utility General Manager goes to Jail for embezzlement. Crime does not pay. You steal, You go to Jail
Link Donner Summit Utility District GM goes to jail
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PLAN MAY DROP RATES FOR PG&E SACBEE, 12/19/03
"The plan, combined with other regulatory decisions and new financial circumstances, could slice average PG&E rates 10% as soon as January, and perhaps a total of 15% within a year, said PUC President Michael Peevey."