Today, the city council is doing their second round of approval for the DWP rate hikes. And while politicians have spun it saying it will only go up a little by stating facts within certain contexts, the LA Times today did the math: "electricity bills will go up at least 23% over a four-year period, thanks to the Department of Water and Power's decision to ask ratepayers to absorb the higher cost of natural gas and the switch to other environmentally friendly forms of energy."

Last week, the DWP and councilman Bill Rosendahl used the death of firefighter Brent Lovrien as a reason to raise the rates so the aging infrastructure could be replaced and be safer and more stable. However, the Times last week pointed out that none of the money from the increases would go towards the type of underground cable that caused the explosion leading to the fireman's death.

Last night in Encino, another subterranean explosion occurred, but luckily, no one was hurt. Earlier this year, an LAPD officer was hurt when an explosion happened downtown. All of these incidents were related to DWP equipment.

Photo by Fire Monkey Fish via Flickr