PG&E proposed rate hikes could increase farm costs Rate increases proposed by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. could bring in- creased electricity costs for thousands of farmers and ranchers inNorthern and Central California. PG&E General Rate Case Phase 1 are scheduled inMarch. weight beingborneby ratepayers.” PG&E is expected to file additional in- formation regarding the undergrounding proposal and potential costs prior to the public participationhearings.
dergrounding efforts, she said. “California Farm Bureau is concerned with the proposed increases in isolation and layered on the additional increases fromotherPG&Eproposals,”Millssaid.“We urgedthecommission, andwill continueto do so throughout the proceeding, to care- fullyscrutinizeproposedexpenditureseven if theyareunder theguiseof safety. Inaddi- tion, thecommissionshouldbe focusedon findingfundingresources thatdiminishthe
Karen Norene Mills, California Farm Bureau director of legal services, said the organizat ion f i led a protest to PG&E’s application on Aug. 5, noting an 18.7% increase in revenue requirement for agriculture. PG&E’s application in- cludes a $3.6 billion increase in wildfire spending, which does not include the utility’s proposed 10,000 miles of un-
Farm organizations say utility costs represent a significant portion of a farm’s monthly expenses, and that they will op- pose the rate request before theCalifornia PublicUtilities Commission. Public participation hearings in the
Data released for aquifer pumping The California Department of Water Resources reported lastweek that newsat- ellite data show land surface sinking con- tinued during the 2021 water year due to excessive groundwater pumping. But the pacewas slower than past drought years. “Californians rely on groundwater during drought, so it’s not surprising that land in some areas is continuing to sink,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “But it is good news that, compared to previous droughts, subsidence is slowing. Over time, recharginggroundwaterbasinswhen it’s wet and lowering demand for ground- water is the long-termsolution toground- water sustainability and subsidence.” DWRhas intensifiedmonitoring tohelp identify impacts of land subsistence, or sinking, and address the issue with local groundwater agencies, counties and land- owners. Areas experiencing themost sub- sidenceduring the2021water yearwere in theSanJoaquinValley,withamaximumof 1.1 feet of subsidence observed, and the SacramentoValley,withamaximumof 0.7 feet.Data showthat sinkingof greater than 0.5 feet per year expanded to more areas thanobserved inthe2020water year.More areas experienced higher rates of subsid- ence in the 2016 drought year. Radar satellitemaps released last week cover data retrieved fromOctober 2020 to September2021formorethan140ground- water basins. DWR secured funding last year to increase collection and reporting frequencyof statewidesatellite-basedsub- sidencedata fromannually toquarterly to providemore real-time information. Data will be updated four times a year. Local and state agencies are imple- menting groundwater sustainability plans and taking actions to monitor and address subsidence causedby groundwa- ter pumping. Current actions to manage impacts of subsidence are in: California Aqueduct in western Fresno and Kings counties ; the Friant-Kern Canal in Tulare County; San Joaquin Valley from Kern County to Madera County; and the Sacramento Valley in Glenn, Colusa and Yolo counties. Publicparticipationhearingswillbeheld inthePG&EPhase1proceeding (A. 21-06- 021) viawebcast from2 to6p.m. onMarch 1,March10andMarch22.All hearingswill cover theentirePG&Eservice territory, but theMarch10hearing,Mills said, will focus onSan JoaquinValley customers. The meeting may be accessed at www. adminmonitor.com/ca/cpuc/.Tocomment duringthepublichearing,call800-857-1917 and enter passcode 6032788# andpress *1. Submit written comments to apps.cpuc. ca.gov/c/A2106021.
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14 Ag Alert February 23, 2022
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