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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
In January, the coalition called on the administration and congressional leaders to invest in a diversified water management portfolio that enhances water supply and quality for urban and environmental uses, while keeping water flowing to Western farms and rural communities.
Though the details of the plan are still forthcoming, the coalition said it looks forward to working with the administration and Congress on the larger need for Western water infrastructure, such as above- and belowground water storage and conveyance facilities, along with federal financial mechanisms for such water projects.
With Western states facing another drought and their importance in supplying much of the nation’s food supply, the coalition said it is even more critical to recognize the need for rural water infrastructure investments to capture and store water for use when it is needed most.
“To ensure that food can continue to be safely and affordably produced in the West, and that rural communities continue to have access to the water critical to their economies, it is important that water supply investment be included as a necessary component of a national infrastructure package,” California Farm Bureau President Jamie Johansson said. “We will continue to work with congressional leaders to build on the administration proposal with enhanced funding for water infrastructure.”
“Decades of neglect have rendered our federal water projects unable to meet the human and environmental needs of the West,” Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia said. “While highways and bridges are front and center in the administration’s proposal, federal investments in water storage and conveyance present an opportunity to strengthen our farming and rural communities while providing good-paying jobs and an economic boon for the construction industry.”
“The severe drought punishing much of the West only emphasizes the need to plan now for future droughts and provide the funding needed to not only fix, but to ‘build back better’ the national system responsible for delivering water to homes, businesses, farms and the environment,” Family Farm Alliance Executive Director Dan Keppen said.
“Appropriate investments in water infrastructure will assure that underserved rural communities throughout the nation have access to clean, reliable water,” Association of California Water Agencies Director of Federal Relations David Reynolds said. “Water infrastructure funding can help the nation adjust to climate change, better protect the environment and help ensure safe, abundant, local food supplies.”
“The Biden administration has put its opening hand in the infrastructure debate on the table,” National Water Resources Association President Christine Arbogast said. “We look forward to additional details and discussion on the Western water and rural water elements specifically mentioned in the president’s Build Back Better proposal. Infrastructure needs in the West are different from other regions of the country, and they deserve the attention and investment which will come from the vigorous debate which will now begin in earnest. We look forward to working with the administration and Congress on this critical effort.”
The coalition includes organizations from 15 states that collectively represent $120 billion in agricultural production, nearly one-third of all agricultural production in the country, and tens of millions of urban and rural water users.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Join local independent solar consultant Carol Cole-Lewis from Upstart Energy online on Thursday, April 8, at 5:30 p.m. for a fun and informative talk on solar energy for your home.
Here's what you'll learn:
– The truth about electricity and what you're really paying for.
– How solar and energy storage can protect you from power shutdowns.
– What solar is, how it works and how to determine if solar energy is right for you.
You’ll also learn about the latest California incentive program that could significantly reduce the cost of getting a battery for your solar array.
You don't need any prior knowledge about solar to get value from this talk.
There is no cost to attend, though reservations are required to get the online meeting link. Reserve your place by going to rsvp.solarforhomeowners.com.
Upstart Energy is giving power back to the people by inspiring homeowners to go solar with confidence. Learn more at www.upstartenergy.com.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
This week, PG&E started contacting small business customers to update their contact information by visiting www.pge.com/mywildfirealerts or by calling 1-866-743-6589.
The company said it knows losing power not only disrupts residential customers, but has a significant impact on businesses as well.
Contact information can be updated using three easy steps:
– Log into your account at www.pge.com/mywildfirealerts or call PG&E at 1-866-743-6589;
– Provide your phone number(s) and email address(es) and or an alternate contact who can reach you before an outage;
– Select your language preference.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Last April, as Californians stayed off the roads in response to public health “stay-at-home” orders, state Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara ordered auto insurance companies to return a percentage of paid premiums — saving drivers collectively more than $1.75 billion in 2020.
After a systematic review of data submitted by insurance companies — the only such review in the country — he has found that insurance companies continued to overcharge consumers despite drastically reduced risk of accidents and loss due to the ongoing pandemic.
On Thursday, Commissioner Lara directed auto insurance companies to report by April 30 how they will return additional premium back to California policyholders that was overcollected in 2020.
He is also directing commercial insurance companies to provide data about commercial policies held by California businesses, which could lead to additional savings for small businesses that are struggling to survive due to the pandemic.
“My order saved California drivers more than $1.75 billion last year — the most in the nation. But while millions of us stayed home helping to fight the spread of the virus and reducing the risk of accidents for our essential workers, insurance companies continued to collect inflated premiums,” said Commissioner Lara. “The bottom line: Insurance companies overcharged consumers and need to do more to make it right and help Californians recover.”
The commissioner’s review included the top 10 insurance groups representing 80 percent of the private passenger automobile insurance market. He found:
– Over seven months from March to September, insurance company groups returned on average 9 percent of auto premiums, but the department’s analysis found they should have refunded nearly double that amount —17 percent — over the seven-month period.
– Bodily injury claims fell by 41.7 percent and property damage liability claims fell by 40.4 percent during March to September 2020, compared to the same period in 2019.
– For April 2020, the first full month of the statewide “stay-at-home” order, the gap between the refund indicated by insurance company group data and the premium they actually returned was approximately 13 percent — representing about $220 million in excess premium collected by insurance companies for that month alone.
– All of the top 10 private passenger insurance groups offered premium relief ranging from 10 to 22 percent for the months of March to May. However, by December, only four insurance groups were still offering any partial refunds, despite the continuing pandemic and a multitude of counties still remaining in the purple tier, or “most restrictive” tier.
“Insurance Commissioner Lara’s order to continue refunds is welcome news to millions of California consumers and businesses continuing to experience a decline in losses and accidents as a result of this global pandemic,” said Richard Holober, president of the Consumer Federation of California. “California continues to set the standard for holding insurance companies accountable for returning additional premiums to their policyholders to promote a stronger recovery."
Commissioner Lara issued his first bulletin directing insurance companies to provide partial premium relief on April 13, 2020, as it became clear that the pandemic was reducing traffic congestion and business losses.
He extended his bulletin in May and again in December, directing insurance companies to continue to provide partial premium refunds as long as the pandemic resulted in reduced risk of loss and to report those refunds to him. The department has posted those reports publicly on its website.
Commissioner Lara’s orders included commercial insurance coverage and, today, he announced that he is seeking detailed data about commercial insurance losses dating back to last March.
“We know that for business owners, any savings matters while they are desperately trying to keep their doors open,” said Commissioner Lara. “If the data shows that insurance companies overcharged our businesses, I am going to be mandating them to return premium, especially to small business that have borne the brunt of pandemic closures.”
"We applaud Commissioner Lara's efforts to address the needs of California's small businesses as they continue to face setbacks from the pandemic," said Mark Herbert, Managing Director of California for Small Business Majority. "Every dollar counts during this challenging time, which is why it's important that commercial insurance companies share data about the amount of premiums they've returned to their small business clients. This will help ensure that small businesses are receiving their fair share of reimbursements, allowing them to put more money back into their businesses."
The commercial insurance data is expected to be available later this summer.