Senate leader accuses PG&E, P.U.C. of collusion
by Anthony Bailey, Eyewitness News

Originally printed at http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/87020347.html

BAKERSFIELD,Calif. -- Five months is long enough. That's the message sent by Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez to the California Public Utilities Commission.

In a press conference Monday, Florez blasted the P.U.C. for allegedly working for Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and not for the people of the Central Valley after numerous complaints over PG&E's SmartMeter program.

"They need to come clean. There is, in my view, an enormous amount of collusion occurring between PG&E and the P.U.C.," Florez said.

Eyewitness News asked PG&E spokesman Denny Boles about Florez' statement, and Boles said, "The statement didn't warrant a response."

The fight has be centered around a proposed audit of the SmartMeter program. In October, Florez called out PG&E after his office was overwhelmed by complaints of inaccurate readings, causing many Bakersfield residents' bills to skyrocket.

Initially, Michael Peevy, head of the P.U.C., issued a press release saying it would have an independent audit of the SmartMeters, but five months has passed, and nothing was done.

Late Monday afternoon, a spokesperson with the P.U.C. issued a statements saying:

"The California public utilities commission expects to announce the chosen evaluator this week. We recognize the urgent need to begin this investigation and have been expediting the process as much as possible within the confines of our competitive bidding requirements."