BY DAVE PRICE
Daily Post Editor
A San Francisco TV station is attacking state Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, for backing a bill that could reduce energy rates, saying it’s a conflict of interest because he works part-time as a consultant to research firm that uses AI in its work.
The story on KGO Channel 7 was reported by Stephanie Sierra, daughter of Jackie Speier, the former Democratic congresswoman and now San Mateo County supervisor.
Becker says his bill, SB 540, has the potential to make electric power more affordable and reliable, and bolster renewable energy.
But ABC7 says that because AI consumes a lot of power, it would therefore help Sand Box Technologies, the firm for whom Becker consults for $100,000 a year. Of course, lower energy rates would also benefit millions of other electric customers in California.
Becker points out that his consulting work is for a firm that uses AI to discover new cancer drugs. Moreover, Sand Box itself doesn’t do the part of AI that consumes massive amounts electric power, instead it uses AI the way consumers might use Google’s AI assistant on their phone.
“Sand Box doesn’t have more power bills than a dentist’s office in Palo Alto,” Becker said.
ABC7 contends that environmentalists are leery of the bill because it would put some of the state’s power grid into a multi-state energy market that’s federally regulated.
However, ABC7 didn’t air any comments from environmentalists who oppose the bill.
Becker points out that the bill is co-sponsored by the National Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Defense Fund, a fact the TV reporter failed to mention. The bill makes it easier for California to sell power to states when it has an excess of electricity and buy it when the state falls short. And the bill requires more use of renewable energy.
The bill passed 36-0 in the Senate on June 6 with votes from progressives, conservatives, Republicans and Democrats. It now moves to the Assembly.
The only critic mentioned by name in the ABC7 piece is Loretta Lynch, the former California Public Utilities Commissioner whose name is linked to the power blackouts of the early 2000s. That’s when the state’s brief attempt to create an energy marketplace was gamed by Enron, resulting in soaring rates and outages.
Legislators having second jobs isn’t unique. Many legislators started businesses earlier in their careers and don’t want to leave those firms when they get elected. Becker said he was working with Sand Box Technologies, the firm ABC7 focused upon, since before he was elected to the senate.
Other supporters of SB540 include Envirovoters, American Clean Power, Peninsula Clean Energy, the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Clean Power Alliance.
Nobody from those groups was interviewed in the ABC7 piece.
Isn’t it a conflict of interest if ABC 7 has the daughter of a local politician doing hit pieces on her mom’s political rivals? ABC 7 ought to be careful when they throw around the term ‘conflict of interest”
Jackie Speier has touched hundreds of pieces of legislation, campaigns, and local initiatives. If you’re saying her daughter, a well regarded, Emmy award winning journalist, who has to over communicate her family ties and recused herself on countless pieces, is at fault for doing her job and investigating a seemly nefarious connection between industry and regulator, then you’re even more oblivious than your comment reads.
Jackie’s accomplishments for her constituents is a rather short list. Given her position, she could have done more about housing and improving transit. Instead she worked on sex assaults in the Air Force. Not saying that’s an issue for the women who were assaulted, but how does that help me in San Mateo County? Housing costs soared during her time in Congress and the federal government was sitting on land that could have been turned into affordable housing. But she did nothing. The feds could have poured money into our transit and highway systems, but we got crickets from her. She was one of those people in Washington who didn’t do much but was assured of re-election because she had a “D” by her name.
As for her daughter, I’ve never heard ABC7 mention her conflict of interest even once. And it doesn’t appear anywhere in this story.
As for your claim of a “nefarious connection,” Becker invested in a startup trying to find a cure for cancer. This startup doesn’t use unusual amounts of electricity. The same as a dentist’s office. How does this bill help the company that’s paying him fees? It doesn’t. But you guys tried to make this into a story using a naive reporter and her politically connected mother.
Jackie Speier has been involved in numerous pieces of legislation, campaigns, and local initiatives. If you believe her daughter, a highly regarded and Emmy award-winning journalist, who regularly communicates her family ties and recuses herself from certain projects, is responsible for doing her job and for investigating a seemingly nefarious connection between industry and the regulators, then you are even more oblivious than your comment suggests.
Dan Noyes looked at this story and told Stephanie “this is solid journalism.”
Are Jackie and Becker really political rivals? At least we learned that he works for Sandbox AI, I don’t remember that in any of his campaign materials. What a perfect place to double dip! Josh can virtue signal and create complexity all day in Sacramento, then collect fees to navigate the “complex business environment” in California. Sounds like California at its best! Dont get me wrong, we need lower energy across the state, but the solution is creating more supply and generous tax savings, not complex law creation.
“Legislators having second jobs isn’t unique.”
Interesting. So please do report on who else has second (and third) jobs and /or lucrative consulting contracts.
I doubt the Post will respond because the answer is pretty obvious to people who pay attention. This has been an issue for years in the legislature, way back to when Willie Brown as in the assembly and had a law practice. Having a second job is perfectly legal. Today, Senator Akilah Weber Pierson of LaMesa is an Ob/Gyn, Assemblymember Damon Connolly is a well-known trial lawyer, Assemblyman Mike Eng is another lawyer who does work for the LAUSD. Jam, if you pay attention to the news, you’ll probably know all this. Next time you ask as question, do a minute’s worth of research.
Why do research and present facts when snark is so much easier!
I do research and I’m smart enough to realize I might have missed something — unlike those who seem to resent the question. I wonder why that is.
Besides, I always find the Daily Post’s insights invaluable in the sea of disinformation and fluff.
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Becker takes money from industries he’s supposed to regulate, a news anchor is the daughter of a local powerful politician. Same corruption, different day.
Sean, enlighten us. You say “Becker takes money from the industries he supposed to regulate …” Really? His financial disclosure statements are public record (and available online). What industries are paying him? Yes, he’s an investor in a company trying to find a cancer cure, but not one that operates a power-sucking AI Training operation as the ABC7 piece falsely claimed. If you’re making an accusation, I’m sure you can back it up with facts.
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ABC7 never used those words. Read the story. Both sides were there — including all the studies posted by the bill’s authors. If you’re going to comment — report the actual facts.
Let’s be clear about Josh Becker and what this bill is… it is electricity deregulation all over again. Becker is the Chair of Senate Energy Committee and its pandering to energy and Silicon Valley interests in bringing forward a bill that will deregulate electricity in CA — giving control to Trump’s FERC and eliminating the requirements put in post Enron that CA elecricity rates need to minimize price and maximize supply (SB 540). This isn’t some innocent attempt to reduce rates it is a power grab by the biggest energy interests in the state and biggest energy users. Becker, who has enviro credentials, is fronting for the effort. NRDC and EDF were also behind the failed electricity deregulation scheme in 1996! The regional market Becker is proposing is failing in the East Coast states according to a recent NY Times story. Make no mistake: this is a power grab and Becker needs to be accountable for his role.
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What’s wrong with reducing electric rates?
I do support Josh Becker but even the perception of a conflict of interest is troubling. In these situation Senator Becker should either divest in the company that may benefit from the legislation or recuse himself and find another Senator to sponsor the bill. I remember when I was in public service I was monitored closely for investments that may be, or perceived to be, a conflict of interest. Some se it as the cost of public service. Well, that and a paltry paycheck. Integrity and trust is everything in public service, especially the high offices.
Thank you Stephanie Sierra for exccellent and brave reporting. It’s the very thing we need in our reproters. and she joins the New York times is discussing the problems with SB 540. Jennifer Tanner here leader of Indivisible CA Green Team. We created a coaltion of 130 climate and consuemr organizations OPPOSSED to SB 540. I’d like to mention that they left out that not only Loretta Lynch but all of our 130 organizations OPPOSED SB 540 !! In addition , TURN, Center for Biological Diversity, Food and Water Watch, CALLSA Environmental Working Group, most of the big 350 groups which are totally focused on climate and Sen Becker refused to accept any of our excellent amendments to make this bill safer for Californians. its compeltey untrue and i wish folks would stop saying eveyone but Loretta Lynch supports SB 540. and SMUD REVERESED and is no longer supporting. Oncde people are open and want to know the turth they change their mind.. The bill is dangerous as writen.
Since when does regurgitating press releases qualify as “brave reporting”?
How interesting. No comments long after the story is published. Then a bunch of them in one day defending the puppetted reporter and criticizing the legislation in question, including one from the infamous Jamie Court. Did an email get passed around telling people they needed to comment on this story?
Good grief. He gets a consulting fee from a company trying to find a cancer cure. He’s interested in the subject because his father died of cancer. The company doesn’t use any more electricity than a dentist’s office. And the researchers use AI just like anybody else. How is this a conflict with this bill? Are you saying that the only way for him to be conflict free is to live his life without any electricity? I think the young TV reporter with the congresswoman mother is just trying to find a side issue to distract people from the merits of the bill. And why would a TV station known for covering sensational murders and Disneyland news releases care about ANY legislation in Sacramento? This young reporter should focus on the other counties in the ABC7 coverage area and stay out of her mom’s backyard. Cut the apron strings, missy.