With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
PG&E-backed Proposition 16 goes down to defeat
Listen
PG&E-backed Proposition 16 goes down to defeat
A ballot measure that would limit the ability of local government to get into the electricity business appears to be going down to defeat.
One company backed the initiative. Investor-owned utility Pacific Gas and Electric has fought insurgent efforts to create what are called "community choice aggregations" – groups that don't buy their own poles and lines, but do decide what energy to deliver on existing ones.
PG&E's parent corporation spent more than $46 million to make it much harder for those groups to get started. Opponents to the measure raised just over $100,000.
This last century California's seen ugly wars about public power. The battlefield for this one is Northern California, where public power efforts continue.
Sponsor
Fearing prop 16 would pass, San Francisco scrambled even on election day to finish meeting state requirements to establish its own electricity service. PG&E and the Yes on 16 campaign maintain voters should weigh on local agencies' entry into energy markets.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
