Berkeley

Green Energy Could be a Casualty as PG&E Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Published

8 years ago

January 23, 2019

Gas and electricity consumers won’t notice immediate changes from PG&E when the Northern California behemoth files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the face of liability problems from back-to-back historic fires.

Longer term, however, both consumers and environmentalists might be in for rocky rides as PG&E attempts to weather the storm.

“For now, no one will see much new with their electric bill,” Severin Borenstein, faculty director of the Energy Institute at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, says. “In the longer run, though, people may be looking at a lot of uncertainty.”

That’s particularly true in the area of green energy. California is a leader in efforts to try to turn the tide of climate change. PG&E has been part of that, but now figures to be sidelined.

“This is not good for California climate policy,” Borenstein says. “Once the company is in bankruptcy, which is likely by the end of the month, it will be put in the hands of a bankruptcy judge. And it would be no surprise if the bankruptcy judge just says, ‘Climate issues are not my problem.’ “

So, issues having to do with solar power, electric vehicles and other green energy platforms suddenly have the potential to be pushed to the side. PG&E will have much less flexibility to act once it enters bankruptcy. The judge will have to sign off on any new initiative, any expansion, any response to concerns put forward by the governor or legislature and any changes in programs.

Investigators determined that PG&E equipment contributed to 18 of 21 major fires in Cali fornia in 2017, and are looking closely at electrical equipment as a culprit in last year’s fires. Two areas of investigation are whether the failure to trim trees near power lines and equipment failure caused or contributed to many of the fires in the northern half of the state.

As a result, the company has seen the value of its stock and its credit rating both take dives while lawsuits begin to mount.

In the end, there may be no more PG&E as such, Borenstein says. Even before the bankruptcy filing, he says, there was talk of splitting the company up and separating out the gas division from the electricity side.

“There were already questions about whether PG&E could continue in its current form doing both gas and electric,” Borenstein says. “And there was talk about whether the electric side of the company should be broken down into small regions, and whether those smaller bits should be investor-owned or municipal-owned, where the government actually owns the utility. Those questions will accelerate.

“I think what it means is that it’s time for the state to step up and play a role. It was already headed in that direction, and this will accelerate things. The courts and the legal process will work on a reorganization of the company. I don’t think the state has settled on what it wants to do, and rightly. I think they should take their time. These are huge decisions.”

There is a chance, Borenstein says, that PG&E could be taken over as an arm of some government organization, although “I am not aware of any utility being made into a public entity as a whole.” A few years ago there was a move to have SMUD (Sacramento Municipal Utility District) take over a small part of PG&E’s territory, but it ultimately did not succeed.

No matter what the ultimate outcome, it’s going to be a long journey. Any smaller bits the company is broken into would have to be valued, the funds would have to be raised and creditors would have to enter the negotiations.

“Nothing will happen in weeks or months,” Borenstein says. “This will only happen over many years.”

John Hickey

Posts by John Hickey

Activism

Black Repertory Group Needs Volunteers to Help Shape the Next Generation of Artists and Leaders

Legendary performers such as Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Glover worked with and were inspired by BRG’s founders. More recently, Grammy award-winning artist Kehlani attended the Black Repertory Group Summer Day Camp for several years.

Published

3 months ago

June 26, 2026

Oakland Post

Courtesy image.

By Sean Vaughn Scott, Special to The Post

For more than 60 years, the Black Repertory Group (BRG) has changed lives through the arts.

Founded in 1964 by educators and visionaries Birel L. Vaughn and Nora Vaughn, BRG has become one of America’s oldest continuously operating Black theater institutions. For generations, it has preserved culture, developed talent, and provided opportunities for young people to discover their voices and their potential.

The results speak for themselves.

Long before international recognition, Kehlani performed on the BRG stage. During a summer day camp production of “Princess and da Frog,” she portrayed Ray, the lovable firefly whose light guided others through the darkness. Her journey is proof that today’s camper may become tomorrow’s artist, entrepreneur, educator, or leader.

Located at 3201 Adeline St. in Berkeley, BRG continues that mission through its Youth Summer Day Camp of the Arts.

BRG is currently accepting applications and maintains an open enrollment program. Students may enroll throughout the summer as space permits and immediately become part of the BRG family.

We are also proud to be a multicultural opportunity program, welcoming children and families from all backgrounds, cultures, and communities. Through theater, music, dance, public speaking, visual arts, technical theater, and leadership development, students gain confidence, discipline, creativity, and lifelong skills.

As our programs grow, so does our need for volunteers.

We are seeking community members to assist with youth mentoring, registration, costumes, set construction, painting, props, ushering, photography, social media, marketing, technical theater, and fundraising activities. Whether you volunteer for a few hours or throughout the season, your support directly impacts the lives of young people.

BRG also partners with churches, civic organizations, alumni associations, fraternities, sororities, and community groups through theater party fundraisers, group sales, and buy-out performances. These partnerships have helped organizations raise funds while supporting arts and cultural programming.

The theater also serves as the home of the Berkeley NAACP Chapter, which meets every second Saturday of the month from 1 to 3 p.m.

For more than six decades, the Black Repertory Group has remained committed to one belief: every child deserves an opportunity to shine.

The next great artist may already be among us.

The next Kehlani may already be walking through our doors.

We invite you to volunteer, enroll, participate, and become part of the legacy.

For more information please go to www.blackrepertorygroup.com, call (510) 652-2120, or email info@blackrepertorygroup.com

Sean Vaughn Scott is the director of the Black Repertory Group.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Bay Area

UC Berkeley Named Top Public University in the U.S. and No. 7 in the World by ‘U.S. News’

Berkeley has been consistently awarded the distinction of the U.S.’s top public university since the Best Global Universities list was first published in 2014. “A strong position in the Best Global Universities rankings recognizes a school’s profound commitment to world-class research and cross-border academic excellence,” said LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News.

Published

3 months ago

June 24, 2026

Oakland Post

Photo by Keegan Houser/UC Berkeley.

The 2026 Best Global Universities rankings evaluated 2,250 research institutions from more than 100 countries

By Lila Thulin

U.S. News & World Report has ranked UC Berkeley No. 7 in its 2026 list of the best global universities, which assesses more than 2,250 research institutions worldwide.

Berkeley also claimed the honor of top public university in the U.S.

Released on Monday, the list evaluates universities from more than 100 countries on 13 metrics such as global and research reputation (as reported by academics and peers) and number of highly cited scholarly papers.

Berkeley has been consistently awarded the distinction of the U.S.’s top public university since the Best Global Universities list was first published in 2014.

“A strong position in the Best Global Universities rankings recognizes a school’s profound commitment to world-class research and cross-border academic excellence,” said LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News.

The rankings also assess a university’s strength in various subject areas; these assessments are separate from U.S. News’ 2026 Best Graduate Programs rankings released in April.

This year, Berkeley was named in the top three nationally in seven subject areas – environment/ecology, ecology, water resources, physics, computer science, chemistry, and engineering – and in the top five for a total of 17 subjects. Subject rankings are based heavily on scholarly publications and citations as well as reputation.

In September, U.S. News also released its 2026 Best Colleges list, in which Berkeley was also named the No. 1 public institution among American universities.

That honor joins other accolades judging campus to be the best public university in the country, such as those from Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Arts and Culture

Farwest Region Deltas Celebrate Centennial With “September Breakfast” Honoring Vivian Osborne Marsh

The region was established in 1925 under the leadership of Vivian Osborne Marsh, who became its first Regional Director. Marsh was a pioneering scholar and civic leader, earning recognition as the first Black woman to receive both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in anthropology from UC Berkeley.

Published

1 year ago

September 14, 2025

Oakland Post

Farwest Regional Director, Kimberly Usher, Mayor Barbara Lee, US Representative Lateefah Simon, and Farwest Regional Representative, Radiya Ajibade. Photo courtesy of Farwest Regional Photographer Vicki P. Love.

By Antoinette Porter

Hundreds of members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and their guests gathered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union at the University of California, Berkeley, to mark the 100th anniversary of the sorority’s Farwest Region.

Marsh went on to serve as Delta Sigma Theta’s 7th National President, where she launched the sorority’s National Library Project to expand access to books in underserved Black communities in the South. During her presidency, the organization also became a prominent voice in the civil rights movement, lobbying Congress to pass anti-lynching legislation.

Bak in the Bay Area, Marsh devoted her career to advancing educational opportunities, mentoring young people, and strengthening community life. That commitment continues to shape the region, which supports initiatives in education, social justice, and economic development. Current projects include raising scholarship funds for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, voter education campaigns, and health and wellness programs.

A century after its founding, the Farwest Region of Delta Sigma Theta remains active across California and other western states, carrying forward Marsh’s vision of service and advocacy.