Edison told the government that Calderon was an ‘executive.' Now it claims she wasn't.
Southern California Edison has repeatedly insisted that its former government affairs manager, state Assemblywoman Lisa Calderon (D-Whittier), was never an executive with the company.
But that's not what Edison told the federal government.
Calderon is sponsoring legislation favored by Edison that would slash the credits that many homeowners receive for generating electricity with rooftop solar panels.
Edison has objected to The Times' identifying Calderon as a former executive for the utility, claiming on its website that the news organization is 'choosing sensationalism over facts.'
But in its official reports to the Federal Election Commission, the political action committee for Edison International — the utility's parent company — listed Calderon's occupation as an executive in more than a dozen filings made before she left the company in 2020 to run for office.
All the filings were signed by the PAC's treasurer saying that 'to the best of my knowledge and belief' the information 'is true, correct and complete.'
Asked to explain the contradiction, Edison spokeswoman Kathleen Dunleavy said that the company was referring in its filings with the commission to a broad class of individuals that met requirements for executive as defined by the commission, but not by Edison itself.
Edison uses the term to 'designate someone in a high position of authority,' she said, such as 'an employee director, vice president or similar title.' Because Edison didn't consider Calderon an executive, she said, others shouldn't either.
Calderon told The Times earlier that she was a senior advisor of government affairs at Edison International. In other biographies, she is described as government affairs director. On Monday, she said her official title was government affairs manager.
For years, she managed the parent company's political action committee.
In a statement, Calderon said she had not filled out the political action committee's reports. Instead they were prepared and filed by the company's law firm, she said.
'Due to her professional responsibilities, she was categorized as an executive for FEC filing purposes,' her office said. 'That does not mean that she was an executive at Edison.'
Calderon's AB 942 would sharply reduce the financial credits that the owners of rooftop panels receive when they send unused power to the grid.
The bill applies to those who installed the panels before April 15, 2023. It would limit the current program's benefits to 10 years — half of the 20-year period that the state had told the rooftop owners they would receive. The bill also would cancel the solar contracts if the homes were sold. It wouldn't apply to customers served by municipal electric utilities.
Edison and the state's other big for-profit utilities have long fought to reduce the energy credits aimed at getting Californians to invest in rooftop solar panels. The popularity of the systems has cut into electricity sales.
Calderon, Edison and other supporters of the bill point to an analysis by the California Public Utility Commission's Public Advocates Office that found the energy credits given to the rooftop owners were increasing the electric bills of those who don't have solar panels.
The bill's first hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
Edison has been under scrutiny since Jan. 7, when videos captured the devastating Eaton wildfire igniting under one of its transmission towers. The wildfire killed 18 people and destroyed thousands of homes, businesses and other structures in Altadena.
Edison says it is cooperating with investigators working to determine the cause of the inferno.
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3 hours ago
- Yahoo
5 things to watch in New Jersey's primaries
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4 hours ago
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The Hill
5 hours ago
- The Hill
5 things to watch in New Jersey's primaries
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But Ciattarelli will need as much backing as he can receive to win in the still blue-leaning New Jersey. Along with his gubernatorial run, Fulop has taken the unusual step of endorsing a slate of progressive candidates in the General Assembly, another test of where the state stands politically. Fulop has thrown his support behind a mix of progressive incumbents and challengers in the primaries under the slogan 'Democrats for Change.' If widely successful, the candidates could significantly reshape the makeup of the Assembly next year. 'The political establishment, they hate that I'm supporting people downballot because it creates accountability, but it's good for you,' he told supporters at one campaign event. Fulop said he's running in a different lane 'that's never been tested in New Jersey.' In many cases, the Fulop-backed candidates are facing off against candidates backed by the county party and Murphy himself. 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Small has pleaded not guilty to the charges he faces and told the Philadelphia-based NBC10 that he doesn't think the allegations will be an issue for voters, saying: 'The voters know who I am.' Policy issues like public safety and the city's cleanliness have taken center stage, with Small emphasizing to the outlet the city's progress in reducing crime. McDevitt, meanwhile, has sought to underscore the fear people still have regarding crime. Regardless of the results of the gubernatorial and legislative primaries, Tuesday will be an early test for a new chapter in New Jersey's political history. A political earthquake took place last year when a federal judge struck down the state's long-standing 'county line' ballot design that critics argued gave a preferential ballot spot to the county-endorsed candidate. The judge agreed the ballot design gave party-endorsed candidates a 'distinct advantage,' violating the integrity of the democratic process. The new ballots, in use since last year's primaries, organize candidates by the office they're seeking, but candidates can still run under slogans making clear they're the choice of the county party. The county parties also still exert some influence in candidates receiving critical endorsements from top officials. But an open Democratic gubernatorial primary will be one of the first real tests of county party power. While Sherrill won most county endorsements in the north, former state Senate President Steve Sweeney won most in South Jersey. If Sherrill, Sweeney and the other candidates largely win the counties where they're endorsed, it could signal lingering power of the endorsement even without the line. If they don't, it could indicate a wider shake-up in state political power.
