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LADWP Customers Will Only Receive Gas Portion of California Climate Credit in April

Some relief is on the way for many California utility customers this April, but for most Angelenos—who get their electricity from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)—the break will only apply to natural gas bills, not electricity.

If you are a SoCalGas customer, you’ll see an $86.60 credit automatically applied to your gas bill during the April billing cycle. However, you will not receive the $56 electricity credit that Southern California Edison customers are getting.

As a customer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), you will not receive the California Climate Credit, as the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) does not regulate public utilities like LADWP, and therefore, the credit does not apply to them.

These credits are part of the California Climate Credit, a statewide program administered by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). It is funded by the state’s cap and trade program, which requires power plants and major polluters to buy permits for the carbon emissions they produce.

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CA E-Bike Incentive Project

The California E-Bike Incentive Project is a statewide consumer-facing incentive program that aims to provide point-of-sale voucher incentives — for the purchase of electric bicycles (e-bikes) — to residents in disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households with an annual household income of less than 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). The base incentive voucher is $1,750, but applicants with certain qualifications can receive as much as $2,000.

Note that this is a voucher, not a rebate, so it is discounted at the time of purchase. The money can also be used to buy safety equipment such as helmets, locks, and lights, as well as cover delivery costs.

Applications are on a first-come, first-served basis.

Who’s eligible?

You have to be at least 18 years old and make less than 300% of the federal poverty level. That means a two-person household making less than $61,320 a year would qualify.

How it’s funded

$7.5 million in funding is available for the voucher program. The money is from the state’s general fund and is overseen by the California Air Resources Board.

Applications open every three to four months until funding is exhausted.

For more information and to apply:

https://ebikeincentives.org/

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California Declares Emergency Over Bird Flu Outbreak

California Takes Action on Bird Flu Outbreak

Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in response to California’s rising bird flu cases. The announcement follows confirmation from the CDC of a severe human case in Louisiana.

“This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak,” said Newsom. While the risk to the general public remains low, the state is taking preventive measures to control the virus’s spread.

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California DMV Eliminates Knowledge Test Requirement for Drivers 70 and Older

In a significant change for older drivers, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced that drivers aged 70 and older are no longer required to take a knowledge test to renew their licenses. This new policy was introduced on Monday, Sept. 30.

Previously, drivers 70 and older had to take a knowledge test when renewing their licenses after expiration, though this was a DMV policy, not a law. According to DMV Director Steve Gordon, the change is aimed at improving customer service.

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Plastic shopping bags banned at California grocery stores after Newsom signs law

California is set to phase out plastic shopping bags entirely by 2026, following a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. This new legislation builds on the state’s existing ban on thin plastic bags, which has been in place for years. Previously, shoppers could still buy thicker plastic bags, marketed as reusable and recyclable, but the new law eliminates that option.

Starting in 2026, shoppers who don’t bring their own bags will be offered only paper bags at checkout. State Sen. Catherine Blakespear, a supporter of the bill, cited a study revealing that plastic bag waste per person in California increased from 8 pounds per year in 2004 to 11 pounds in 2021. According to Blakespear, the earlier ban didn’t significantly reduce overall plastic use, prompting the need for this stricter measure. She emphasized the environmental harm caused by plastic waste, stating, “We are literally choking our planet with plastic.”

Environmental group Oceana praised Newsom for the decision, noting that it will help protect California’s coastline, marine life, and communities. Christy Leavitt, Oceana’s plastics campaign director, called the ban a significant step in addressing the global plastic pollution crisis.

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Gov. Newsom helps clear LA homeless camp, issues funding threat

Governor said he would start taking funds away from cities, counties not doing enough

California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a stern warning to local governments on Thursday: clean up homeless encampments or risk losing state funding next year.

Speaking at a recently cleared homeless encampment in Los Angeles, Newsom emphasized that cities and counties must take immediate action to move individuals out of encampments and into shelters. The governor, alongside the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), oversaw the clearing of several encampment sites in the area.

“I want to see results,” Newsom stated during a press conference. “I don’t want to read about them or just see data—I want to witness real change.”

This announcement is part of Newsom’s ongoing effort to push local governments into intensifying their efforts to address homelessness.

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Governor Newsom Orders Dismantling of CA Homeless Encampments

The order comes less than a month after the Supreme Court reversed a ruling that prohibited cities from banning encampments.

Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a sweeping executive order yesterday to dismantle homeless encampments, impacting hundreds of thousands of people, the New York Times reported. This action follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that permits cities to ban sleeping outside in public spaces.

The June Supreme Court decision overturned a lower court ruling that had halted such bans, deeming them cruel and unusual. This change has led to diverse approaches to homelessness across the state.

“We have been hard at work to address this crisis on our streets,” Newsom said in a statement to The New York Times. “There are simply no more excuses. It’s time for everyone to do their part.”

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Restaurant Service Fees Will Soon Be Illegal in California

The price you see on the menu is what you’ll pay for your meal (plus taxes) under a state law that has the restaurant industry fuming.

From automatic service charges to vague “living wage” fees, California restaurants have increasingly been tacking on extra costs to diners’ bills in recent years, much to customers’ chagrin. But starting later this year, that practice will become illegal — the menu price (plus tax) is all you’ll have to pay.

Signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October and set to take effect July 1, SB 478 will prohibit hidden fees, defined by state officials as fees in which a seller uses an artificially low advertised price to attract a customer, disclosing additional required fees in fine print or tacking on unavoidable charges later in the buying process.

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How to Report and Recoup Damages from Potholes

In Los Angeles, drivers reported more than 2,000 potholes a week as storms wreaked havoc on roads and potholes disabled cars by the dozens.
The relentless stream of atmospheric rivers have ravaged Los Angeles roads and led to thousands of potholes on freeways, highways, and surface streets across the Golden State. If it seems worse than usual — it is.

From a pothole on an overpass that sent debris flying onto the 5 in Glendale in mid-March to several large potholes that developed on State Route 71 in Pomona that damaged 30 vehicles, snarled traffic for miles, and prompted several nights of closures to repair, navigating the storms has been anything but pleasant.

In the first three weeks of March, residents reported nearly 6,000 destructive potholes on Los Angeles City streets alone, according to the Los Angeles Public Works Department.

The city is averaging just under two weeks to repair most potholes lately, a jump from the norm of two days, according to Los Angeles Department of Public Works spokesperson Elena Stern.

Residents in Los Angeles neighborhoods can report a pothole for repair simply by dialing 311 or use the city’s website to report portholes and receive updates on repairs.

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CA Urges Feds To Probe Gas Companies, Increases Rebates

Help for skyrocketing gas bills is on the way. Credits ranging from $90 to $120 will appear on utility bills as soon as March.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is asking federal authorities to investigate the recent spike in natural gas prices — an increase that has been evident to many Californians as their utility bills skyrocket. Households across the state opened their January gas bills last week to find their gas bills tripled in a single month.

“Since late November 2022, wholesale natural gas prices throughout the West have risen to alarming levels that greatly exceed prices in the rest of the country,” Newsom wrote Monday in a letter to Willie Phillips, chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Utility providers had cautioned California customers to expect January gas bills totaling twice or more than what they paid for the same period in 2022. Even so, the spike exceeded the forecasts. The companies cited an unprecedented confluence of circumstances, including a recent cold snap, pipeline constraints associated with maintenance work in Texas, low gas storage in the Pacific region, and increased transportation rates.

Newsom characterized the cost spike as “extreme and unexpectedly high.”

“I, therefore, ask that FERC immediately focus its investigatory resources on assessing whether market manipulation, anticompetitive behavior, or other anomalous activities are driving these ongoing elevated prices in the western gas markets,” Newsom wrote. “And, if warranted, I ask that FERC bring its full enforcement powers and resources to bear to protect customers.”

At the state level, help is on the way. Credits ranging from $90 to $120 will appear on gas and electric bills as soon as March after the California Public Utilities Commission voted Thursday to accelerate the California Climate Credit, according to the governor’s office. The credit represents the consumer’s share of payments from the state’s cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and was previously scheduled to be granted in April by natural gas companies, according to CalMatters.

The $90 to $120 credit will be applied to residential utility bills starting in March for customers of PG&E, Southern California Edison, SDG&E and SoCalGas, according to Newsom. Customers of Bear Valley, Liberty, PacifiCorp and Southwest Gas will also get an accelerated credit, and the amount received will vary.

The public utilities commission and the California Energy Commission will hold a hearing Tuesday with market experts to examine the causes and impacts of the gas price increase.

“Millions of California families are opening their utility bills to sticker shock — and we’re taking action now to provide relief to help with those high gas bills,” Newsom said in a news release.

“We know this provides only temporary relief from soaring bills. That’s why I’m asking the federal government to use its full authority to investigate the spike in natural gas prices and take any necessary enforcement actions. We’re going to get to the bottom of this because Californians deserve to know what’s behind these exorbitant bills.”

Article from https://patch.com/california/northridge/s/iklgi/ca-urges-feds-to-probe-gas-companies-increases-rebates

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