San Francisco is taking the largest steps in history toward creating a fully public energy system.

In filings with the California Public Utilities Commission, the city has determined that PG&E's local property is worth about $2.3 billion – and if the commission agrees, the city can seize those assets under the power of a significant one Apply for ownership.

This would fulfill the century-old promise of the Raker Act, which allowed San Francisco to build a water supply dam in Yosemite National Park on the condition that the city also establish a public power system.

Almost everyone agrees that it's time for SF to take over PG&E's facilities

Much of this happened under the public's radar: None of the major news media outlets have reported much on the proceedings, which date back to 2021.

But the implications are enormous: At a time when PG&E is largely unpopular, the chances of San Francisco running its own electric utility that could deliver cleaner electricity much more cheaply and reliably are much closer to reality.

A little background:

Since 1913, San Francisco has been under a federal mandate to provide public power to its residents and businesses. That was the deal that allowed the city to build a dam in Yosemite National Park. You can read the entire story here (I spent weeks at the National Archives in Washington DC collecting this data.)

But PG&E, through its political influence in City Hall and its unlimited campaign funds, managed to block any effort to make this mandate a reality, and after the 1950s the Interior Department stopped caring.

The sticking point was always a choice: To take over PG&E's system, the city would have to condemn it as an honorary domain and seize it for fair market value — but that would mean a bond act that required a two-thirds vote. PG&E has spent countless millions (from taxpayers) to ensure this never happens.

But times have changed, and thanks to a move a few years ago by Sup. Aaron Peskin, the SF Public Utilities Commission can now issue revenue bonds for clean energy projects, including a public power system. Tax bonds are backed not by the city's property taxes, but by a specific source of revenue – in this case, the money the city would make from selling retail electricity.

SF starts here with a big advantage: The city already has a huge hydroelectric dam that produces enough clean electricity to power all city departments, including Muni, with plenty left (in good water years).

The city already has a CleanPowerSF operation that offers 100 percent renewable electricity.

What the city doesn't have is a distribution system. This belongs to PG&E.

All San Francisco needs to do at this point to get rid of a company that charges far too high fees and provides poor service that, among other things, hinders the construction of new housing is to file the legal paperwork to take over this system.

Every time I run these numbers, and I have done it many times over the years, the results have been clear and unequivocal: San Francisco could spend up to $3 billion or more for the existing lines, poles, meters, trucks etc. pay for other infrastructure, invest millions in modernizations, reduce interest rates significantly – and not only pay off the bonds, but also generate hundreds of millions of dollars per year that could flow into financing affordable housing, for example.

Under the U.S. Constitution, the government cannot seize private property without paying fair compensation—that is, fair market value for the property.

That's why the SFPUC, under General Manager Dennis Herrera, has filed a series of complex documents with the California Public Utilities Commission over the past two years to determine the true value of PG&E's local distribution system. The CPUC agreed to proceed.

The documentation is extensive and sometimes difficult to understand – but when you get to the end result, it looks like this:

The system is worth between $2.3. and $2.8 billion. At that price, a buyout financed with revenue bonds would be a huge bargain for the city. Remember: Once San Francisco takes over the system, all the money we now pay to PG&E would go to the city. That's hundreds of millions of dollars per year.

PG&E is doing everything it can to delay the process. But at some point the CPUC will demand a counteroffer — and at that point, which could come in the next 24 months, the city will take the next step.

In an ideal world, Barbara Hale, the deputy general manager for energy at the SPFUC, told me, PG&E would come to the table and negotiate. In the real world, the company will try to delay and obfuscate – and work to elect a mayor and supervisors who would refuse to move forward.

Mayor London Breed is on record supporting a PG&E takeover. I have no doubt that six Sups – everything we need to file the eminent domain lawsuit – are now on board.

Of course, that could change in November.

I haven't seen much PG&E money in the mayoral or superate contests, This makes sense: The company is extremely unpopular right now, especially given recent rate hikes and power outages, so no one wants to be a “PG&E candidate.”

But with its most lucrative fortune at stake, the company with more than 100 years of history will consider all sorts of political angles.

At a hearing last week, Sup. Myrna Melgar asked PG&E officials why power keeps going out on the city's west side – even when there isn't bad weather. Representatives didn't have good answers – but people who live there lined up to talk about how impossible it is to get help, how some power outages last for days and how “we feel abandoned.”

No powerful lobbyists can counter this widespread feeling.

So the process is moving forward like never before, and when it's over, the lights are back on and the city has money (pretty much every public power grid in the country is making money), the city can move to 100 percent renewable energy for everyone including rooftop solar power that PG&E is trying to undermine, we can all have a big party and thank Bruce Brugmann, founder of the Bay Guardian, who has been fighting for public power for more than 50 years.

And in the QT I know a former PG&E lobbyist who promised to buy the first round.

The post After 111 years, SF is lastly shifting to oust PG&E and create a public energy system appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The homestretch of the NFL season is upon us, and the Power Rankings are in an optimistic mood. That means that this week we’ll look at the best-case scenario for all 32 teams the remainder of the season.

For some, it’s a Super Bowl ring, for some, it’s a postseason appearance and for some, it’s a new head coach under the Christmas tree.

(Last week: 1)

Sunday: Beat Buffalo Bills 37-34 in overtime

Best case: Super Bowl ring

Three coaches in NFL history have started 10-1 in back-to-back seasons, according to Elias Sports. They are Don Shula, Tony Dungy and … Nick Sirianni. The Eagles, who played without offensive tackle Lane Johnson (groin), have beaten the Cowboys, Chiefs and Bills in consecutive games, and their next three are against the 49ers, Cowboys and Seahawks. Jalen Hurts, who had five touchdowns Sunday, is second in the NFL in rushing touchdowns (11) and has 18 passing touchdowns. This team can erase the bad taste of last year’s Super Bowl loss.

Up next: vs. San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

GO DEEPER

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(Last week: 4)

Sunday: Beat Los Angeles Chargers 20-10

Best case: Super Bowl ring

The Ravens are the most balanced team in the AFC. They are second in scoring defense (15.6) and defensive success rate (62.9 percent). Offensively, they lead the league in rushing (158.6 per game) and are seventh in yards overall (366.1 ypg). Linebackers Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen each have more than 100 tackles, and Jadeveon Clowney has 7 1/2 sacks. Baltimore hasn’t advanced past the divisional round since its 2012 Super Bowl win. That looks like it’ll change.

Up next: Bye

3. Kansas City Chiefs (8-3)

(Last week: 2)

Sunday: Beat Las Vegas Raiders 31-17

Best case: Super Bowl ring

It would be the second in a row for the Chiefs. Any worries about the state of Kansas City’s wide receiving corps should be offset by the fact that this team won its last Super Bowl with the same group plus JuJu Smith-Schuster, who has 24 catches this season for 159 yards for the Patriots. Rashee Rice was a bright spot Sunday, catching eight passes for 107 yards. With Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, the best case is a ring. On Sunday, Reid became the first coach in NFL history to become the winningest coach for two franchises.

Up next: at Green Bay Packers, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET

4. San Francisco 49ers (8-3)

(Last week: 5)

Thursday: Beat Seattle Seahawks 31-13

Best case: Super Bowl ring

Since acquiring defensive end Chase Young at the trade deadline, the 49ers are second in the league with 15 sacks. They have at least four sacks in each game since then, and they got Geno Smith six times on Thanksgiving Day. Plus, they still have Brock Purdy and that offense. San Francisco has played one other contender this season. It beat the Cowboys 42-10 in that game. This team could finally get Kyle Shanahan his championship.

Up next: at Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

5. Dallas Cowboys (8-3)

(Last week: 7)

Thursday: Beat Washington Commanders 45-10

Best case: Super Bowl ring

Dallas hasn’t been able to do better than regular-season rings for a while now, so there’s some understandable skepticism about this team, but the Cowboys are a very real threat. They lead the NFL in scoring margin (162). They are second in offensive EPA, third in defensive EPA and 10th in special teams EPA. Dak Prescott received PFF’s highest game grade (97) of any quarterback since 2007 for his Thursday performance. He has topped 300 yards passing and a 115 passer rating four times in the last five games.

Up next: vs. Seattle Seahawks, Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET

Tyreek Hill and the Dolphins’ explosive offense gives coach Mike McDaniel’s team a chance against everyone. (Mike Stobe / Getty Images)

(Last week: 6)

Friday: Beat New York Jets 34-13

Best case: Super Bowl

The Dolphins are second in the league in scoring (30.82 ppg) despite having 19 turnovers (the sixth most in the league). If Miami’s offense plays cleanly, this team can beat anyone. However, a defense that ranks 22nd in points allowed (22.82 per game) and lost Jaelan Phillips to an Achilles injury Friday combined with the fact that the Dolphins didn’t top 20 points against the Bills, Eagles or Chiefs makes it hard to think this group can beat three really good teams in a row.

Up next: at Washington Commanders, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 3)

Thursday: Lost to Green Bay Packers 29-22

Best case: Super Bowl ring

Even Jared Goff’s most ardent fans get nervous this time of year, and Goff wasn’t great Thursday against the Packers. Still, in an off game, he produced 332 yards, two touchdowns and a 103.6 passer rating. The Lions play the Saints, Bears, Broncos and Vikings (twice) down the stretch. If Detroit can get home-field advantage, it can make a run with this offense, which ranks second in the league in yardage (405.5).

Up next: at New Orleans Saints, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

GO DEEPER

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(Last week: 9)

Sunday: Beat Houston Texans 24-21

Best case: Two playoff games

Jacksonville’s stars are getting hot at the right time. Linebacker Josh Allen had 2 1/2 sacks Sunday and now is second in franchise history with 38 for his career. On the offensive side, Calvin Ridley has 192 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the last two weeks. Jacksonville has won seven of its last eight with the only loss coming to San Francisco.

Up next: vs. Cincinnati Bengals, Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET

9. Buffalo Bills (6-6)

(Last week: 12)

Sunday: Lost to Philadelphia Eagles 37-34 in overtime

Best case: Super Bowl

We’re having a hard time giving up on the Bills even though they lost for the third time in four games Sunday. The reason? That very game. Buffalo gained 505 yards and went toe-to-toe with the defending NFC champions in Philadelphia. The Bills are fifth in scoring (27.33 per game) and fourth in scoring margin (101). It’s not going to be easy to claw back into the picture with the Chiefs, Cowboys and Dolphins still on the schedule, but if they do …

Up next: Bye

(Last week: 10)

Sunday: Lost to Jacksonville Jaguars 24-21

Best case: Two playoff games

This team will be dangerous in the playoffs, if it makes it, because of C.J. Stroud. The rookie topped 300 yards passing for the fourth consecutive game (an NFL rookie record) and sixth time this season Sunday and also led Houston in rushing with 47 yards. The Texans are one spot outside the playoff picture but still play the Titans twice and the Jets once down the stretch.

Up next: vs. Denver Broncos, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 15)

Sunday: Beat Cincinnati Bengals 16-10

Best case: Two playoff games

Firing Matt Canada seems to have served its purpose. After failing to top 400 yards in 44 games with Canada as the offensive coordinator, the Steelers gained 421 the week after firing him. Pairing an actual offense with a defense that ranks fifth in points allowed (18.6 ppg) is a winning formula, but it’s hard to imagine Kenny Pickett (31st in EPA per attempt, minus-.05) making much of a playoff run.

Up next: vs. Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

GO DEEPER

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12. Seattle Seahawks (6-5)

(Last week: 11)

Thursday: Lost to San Francisco 49ers 31-13

Best case: Playoffs

There was a time not long ago when the Seahawks looked like a threat to San Francisco in the NFC West. That thought died Thursday when Seattle had three first downs compared with San Francisco’s 16 in the first half. It was the Seahawks’ third loss in the last four games, but they are holding onto the sixth seed in the NFC right now. Still, a defense that ranks 22nd in points allowed (22.6) puts a ceiling on this team.

Up next: at Dallas Cowboys, Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET

13. Denver Broncos (6-5)

(Last week: 16)

Sunday: Beat Cleveland Browns 29-12

Best case: Playoffs

Denver won its fifth straight Sunday, giving it the longest active winning streak in the league. In that stretch, the Broncos are third in the league in scoring defense (16.8 ppg allowed). Prior to the winning streak, Denver was giving up 33.3 points per game, which ranked last in the league. Russell Wilson threw for only 134 yards Sunday, but he’s fifth in the league in passer rating (103.4). The Broncos only play two more teams with a winning record — the Lions and Texans. They are a very real playoff contender, but it’s hard to forecast much more considering all the energy it will take to get there.

Up next: at Houston Texans, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 8)

Sunday: Lost to Denver Broncos 29-12

Best case: Playoffs

The Browns would be the No. 6 seed in the AFC if the playoffs started today. Now, they just have to see if they can hold on to that spot. Rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson was knocked out of Sunday’s game with a head injury and was replaced by P.J. Walker, who completed 6 of 13 passes for 56 yards. That puts more pressure on a defense that ranks first in the league in success rate (67.6 percent) and sack percentage (10.6) and seventh in points allowed (19 per game).

Up next: at Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

With running back Jonathan Taylor hitting his stride, the Colts could be dangerous down the stretch. (Lauren Leigh Bacho / Getty Images)

(Last week: 20)

Sunday: Beat Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-20

Best case: Playoffs

The Colts are the seventh seed at the moment and play only two more teams with a winning record — the Steelers and Texans. And this is with Gardner Minshew at quarterback. Jonathan Taylor had his second 90-plus-yard rushing game of the season (91 on 15 carries), and Indianapolis is 11th in the league in scoring (23.3). Shane Steichen has entered the Coach of the Year conversation.

Up next: at Tennessee Titans, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

16. Green Bay Packers (5-6)

(Last week: 23)

Thursday: Beat Detroit Lions 29-22

Best case: Playoffs

After upsetting the Lions on Thanksgiving, the Packers are only one spot out of the playoff picture. The reason is the improvement of Jordan Love, who is fourth in the league in EPA per attempt (.32) and passing yards (1,193) in November. He threw three touchdowns versus no interceptions on Thanksgiving against the Lions. After throwing eight interceptions in the first seven games, he has only two in the last four games.

Up next: vs. Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, 8:20 p.m.

(Last week: 24)

Sunday: Beat New Orleans Saints 24-15

Best case: Playoffs

The Falcons are in first place in the NFC South despite winning for the first time since Oct. 22 on Sunday. The run game produced a season-high 228 yards against New Orleans. Combining more of that with a defense that ranks sixth in the league in success percentage (61 percent) might be enough to keep the Falcons in front in this division. The best part of the weekend for Atlanta was the team’s celebration of 50 years of hip-hop music at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Ludacris even came out of the ceiling.

Up next: at New York Jets, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

18. Minnesota Vikings (6-6)

(Last week: 14)

Monday: Lost to Chicago Bears 12-10

Best case: Playoffs

Despite Josh Dobbs throwing four interceptions and despite losing to the Chicago Bears, the Vikings are still in the playoffs as the No. 7 seed for the moment. The problem is they still have to play the Lions twice. The Dobbs story was fun for a while, but the Vikings should have started working on a new deal for Kirk Cousins at some point in the second half Monday night.

Up next: Bye

(Last week: 25)

Sunday: Beat Arizona Cardinals 37-14

Best case: Playoffs

The Rams are in the ninth spot in the NFC after their second consecutive win. Kyren Williams had 143 yards on 16 carries and led the team with six catches (for 61 yards) in his first game since Week 6. Williams has topped 100 rushing yards in three of the last four games he has played, and Los Angeles looks like a different team with him in the lineup. “That was a big deal getting him back,” coach Sean McVay said.

Up next: vs. Cleveland Browns, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

GO DEEPER

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(Last week: 13)

Sunday: Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers 16-10

Best case: Marvin Harrison Jr.

They’ve probably already won too many games to get into the top three of the draft, but we are talking about the best-case scenario after all. The Joe Burrow-less Bengals have the second-toughest remaining schedule in the league. They aren’t going to the playoffs, so why not solve their Tee Higgins problem in the best possible way? Lose out. Root for the Patriots, Bears, Commanders and Giants to stumble into a few wins, let Higgins walk and put Harrison, the Ohio State star, with Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase.

Up next: at Jacksonville Jaguars, Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET

21. New Orleans Saints (5-6)

(Last week: 17)

Sunday: Lost to Atlanta Falcons 24-15

Best case: Playoffs

Three of the four teams in the NFC South remain in the playoff hunt simply because the division stinks. The Saints had 444 yards of offense but failed to get into the end zone against Atlanta on Sunday. The performance dropped them to 24th in the league in scoring (18.17 ppg). That’s even with Chris Olave having seven catches for 114 yards before leaving with a concussion in the third quarter.

Up next: vs. Detroit Lions, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 22)

Sunday: Lost to Indianapolis Colts 27-20

Best case: Playoffs

The Buccaneers have lost six of their last seven. We should be able to count them out of the playoff race, but they’re only one game back in the win column for first place in the NFC South. Mike Evans is second in the NFL with nine receiving touchdowns after two more Sunday, but Tampa Bay is 23rd in the league in scoring (19.27 ppg). The rest of the Buccaneers have only 13 touchdowns combined.

Up next: vs. Carolina Panthers, Sunday, 4:05 p.m.

(Last week: 19)

Sunday: Lost to Kansas City Chiefs 31-17

Best case: Jim Harbaugh

The Antonio Pierce interim coach bump appears to be over. Las Vegas went up 14-0 on Kansas City on Sunday but was outscored 31-3 in the final 37 minutes and has now dropped two in a row. They trail the Broncos in the division and have four teams between them and sniffing a playoff spot. Harbaugh is the type of big name the Raiders love to hire. He’s 49-22-1 all-time in the NFL. And there are reasons to believe his time at Michigan is short.

Up next: Bye

24. Los Angeles Chargers (4-7)

(Last week: 18)

Sunday: Lost to Baltimore Ravens 20-10

Best case: Ben Johnson

The Chargers were flagged for having 12 men on the field on their first defensive snap Sunday night, which may be their only hope defensively. Los Angeles is last in the league in defense (390.6 ypg allowed), and Justin Herbert’s talents are being wasted. Herbert is fifth in the league in EPA per attempt (.19) and ninth in passing yards (2,826). Herbert needs an offensive-minded head coach, and the Lions’ offensive coordinator looks like the perfect match. The problem is the Panthers might outspend the Chargers for Johnson.

Up next: at New England Patriots, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

GO DEEPER

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25. New York Giants (4-8)

(Last week: 29)

Sunday: Beat New England Patriots 10-7

Best case: Stop winning

Tommy DeVito has more passing touchdowns (seven) than Zach Wilson and Kenny Pickett (six each) this season. DeVito, the undrafted free agent who is living with his parents, has started the last three games, and New York has won two of them. The problem is that has cost them valuable draft positioning. They now sit sixth in the order. The good news is they still have to play the Eagles twice.

Up next: Bye

(Last week: 21)

Thursday: Lost to Dallas Cowboys 45-10

Best case: Dan Quinn

Washington fired defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and defensive backs coach Brent Vieselmeyer on Friday. Head coach Ron Rivera is almost certainly next. Quinn, the former Falcons head coach and current Cowboys defensive coordinator, would bring the kind of energy and confidence-building style this organization desperately needs. Quinn might even be able to keep pass-happy offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy on board.

Up next: vs. Miami Dolphins, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

27. Chicago Bears (4-8)

(Last week: 27)

Monday: Beat Minnesota Vikings 12-10

Best case: Brian Johnson

Jalen Hurts is a powerful, athletic, strong-armed quarterback. Justin Fields is a powerful, athletic, strong-armed quarterback (who is faster than Hurts). In Brian Johnson’s three seasons with the Eagles — two as quarterbacks coach and this one as offensive coordinator — Hurts has gone from a question mark at the position to an MVP candidate. It’s folly to assume Fields could follow the same path, but at least Johnson knows what the path looks like. Or, they could just draft Caleb Williams.

Up next: Bye

28. Tennessee Titans (4-7)

(Last week: 28)

Sunday: Beat Carolina Panthers 17-10

Best case: Losing out

Right now, Tennessee would have the No. 9 pick in the 2024 draft, but it can do better than that. Its five remaining opponents all have winning records, and it’s not inconceivable that Sunday’s win could be the Titans’ last. That would leave them picking in the top five, where they could nab one of the top tackles available — Olu Fashanu of Penn State or Amarius Mims of Georgia.

Up next: vs. Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

29. New York Jets (4-7)

(Last week: 26)

Friday: Lost to Miami Dolphins 34-13

Best case: A media blackout

No one needs to see the rest of this season, for their sake or for the Jets’. Having Robert Saleh do a television interview moments after New York gave up a 99-yard interception return for a touchdown on a Hail Mary attempt to end the first half against Miami felt cruel. Of course, the Jets bring a lot of this on themselves by doing things like starting Tim Boyle over Trevor Siemian (or a long list of other quarterbacks who could have been acquired during the season).

Up next: vs. Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

(Last week: 30)

Sunday: Lost to Los Angeles Rams 37-14

Best case: A beneficial Kyler Murray trade

The Cardinals got a Murray bump in his first game back from a torn ACL, but they have returned to form now. Murray had an 83.2 passer rating, rushed for only 2 yards and was sacked four times Sunday. The Cardinals are in position to draft either Caleb Williams or Drake Maye, and Murray is dynamic enough that he can bring them a good return on the trade market.

Up next: at Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

31. New England Patriots (2-9)

(Last week: 31)

Sunday: Lost to New York Giants 10-7

Best case: An amicable parting

The Patriots are 4-14 in their last 18 games. Their best quarterback options are Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe. Both played Sunday, and neither topped 100 passing yards. Bill Belichick spoke for four minutes in his postgame news conference before he walked out. Owner Robert Kraft has been quiet about Belichick’s job status, but it’s hard to imagine him coaching in New England next year.

Up next: vs. Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

32. Carolina Panthers (1-10)

(Last week: 32)

Sunday: Lost to Tennessee Titans 17-10

Best case: Ben Johnson

In what may be the weirdest stat in the league right now, Carolina has seen its point total stay level or decrease in each of the last six games — 24, 21, 15, 13, 13, 10. That’s the kind of thing that gets a head coach fired, and it did Monday as the Panthers dismissed Frank Reich. Rookie quarterback Bryce Young could use a dose of Johnson’s offense. Carolina won’t be the most attractive job this offseason, but Panthers owner David Tepper can afford to pay to lure Johnson, and now he has a head start on the competition.

Up next: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET

(Top photo of DaRon Bland, left, and Dak Prescott: Kevin Sabitus / Getty Images)

“The Football 100,” the definitive ranking of the NFL’s best 100 players of all time, is on sale now. Order it here.

The post NFL Energy Rankings Week 13: Cowboys, Steelers transferring up, plus best-case situations appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

1. Philadelphia Eagles (9-1): The Eagles held on to defeat the Chiefs in Kansas City, 21-17. Quarterback Jalen Hurts only threw for 150 yards and had an interception, but the Eagles continue to find a way to come through with unimpressive wins. Next: -3 vs Buffalo Bills – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 48.5 (ATS: 6-2-2 – O/U: 5-5)

2. Detroit Lions (8-2): The Lions trailed 26-14 with three minutes remaining in the game but found a way to score 17 points in the final three minutes to stun the Bears, 31-26 in Detroit. The Lions lead the NFC North division and the second place Vikings by 2.5 games, three in the lost column. Next: -7.5 vs Green Bay Packers – Thu, Nov. 23 – O/U: 46.5 (ATS: 7-3 – O/U: 6-4)

3. Miami Dolphins (7-3): The Dolphins beat the Raiders as expected and are all alone in first place in the AFC East. The Dolphins lead the NFL in scoring at 30.5 points per game and total offensive yardage per game at 434 yards per game. Next: -9.5 at New York Jets – Fri, Nov. 24 – O/U: 41 (ATS: 6-4 – O/U: 5-5)

4. Dallas Cowboys (7-3): The Cowboys easily defeated the Panthers 33-10 on the road. Cornerback DaRon Bland tied an NFL record with his fourth pick-6 of the season in the rout. Bland was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Week for Week 11 of the 2023 NFL season. Next: -12.5 vs Washington Commanders – Thu, Nov. 23 – O/U: 48.5 (ATS: 7-3 – O/U: 6-4)

5. San Francisco 49ers (7-3): The 49ers defeated the Buccaneers to improve their record to 7-3, tying them with the Cowboys for the third best record in the NFC. They beat the Cowboys head-to-head, 42-7, in Week 5. But following three consecutive losses the Niners slid behind the Cowboys two weeks ago. There’s a reason why they call them the whining Niner fans. Tsk, tsk. Next: -7 at Seattle Seahawks – Thu, Nov. 23 – O/U: 43.5 (ATS: 5-5 – O/U: 5-5)

6. Baltimore Ravens (7-3): The Ravens beat the Bengals and have the best record in the AFC, but they lost three-time Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews for the season after he suffered a cracked fibula and an ankle ligament injury. Next: -3.5 at Los Angeles Chargers – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U 47.5 (ATS: 7-4 – O/U: 5-6)

7. Kansas City Chiefs (7-3): The Chiefs suffered a loss at home to the Eagles but might have won the game if their receivers could simply stop dropping passes. The quality of wide receivers with the Chiefs needs to get better next season. Next: -8.5 vs Las Vegas Raiders – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 43 (ATS: 6-4 – O/U: 2-8)

8. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-3): Quarterback Trevor Lawrence was named the AFC Offensive Player of Week 11 in leading the Jaguars to an easy 34-14 win over the Titans. Lawrence threw for two touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns in the rout. Next: -1.5 at Houston Texans – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 48.5 (ATS: 7-3 – O/U: 5-5)

9. Cleveland Browns (7-3): Former UCLA star quarterback Dorian-Thompson-Robinson drove the Browns to a game-winning field goal in his first victory as a rookie starter in the NFL, a 13-10 win over the Steelers. The Browns have the best defense in the NFL and that should help DTR. Next: +1.5 at Denver Broncos – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 35.5 (ATS: 6-3-1 – O/U: 5-5)

10. Seattle Seahawks (6-4): The Seahawks blew a 16-7 lead in the fourth quarter and lost to the Rams, 17-16. The Rams swept the Seahawks this season. Former UCLA star running back Zach Charbonnet will likely get his first start in the NFL this week with an injury to Kenneth Walker III. Charbonnet was a second-round pick of the Seahawks in the 2023 NFL Draft. Next: +7 vs San Francisco 49ers – Thu, Nov. 23 – O/U: 43.5 (ATS: 5-4-1 – O/U: 4-6)

11. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4): The Steelers struggled again on offense in their 13-10 loss to the Browns and decided that the solution to their offensive problems might be solved by firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada. They need an offensive coordinator that can block. Next: -1.5 at Cincinnati Bengals – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 35.5 (ATS: 6-4 – O/U: 2-8)

12. Houston Texans (6-4): Rookie Quarterback C.J. Stroud came down to earth a bit, throwing three interceptions in the Texans 21-16 victory over the Cardinals. Stroud did throw for 336 yards and two touchdowns and running back Devin Singletary rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown in the win. Next: +1.5 vs Jacksonville Jaguars – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U 48.5 (ATS: 5-5 – O/U: 4-6)

13. Denver Broncos (5-5): The Broncos won their third straight game, beating the Vikings, 21-20. The Broncos have beaten the Chiefs, Bills, and Vikings in consecutive weeks, a good sign for the team under head coach Sean Payton. Next: -1.5 vs Cleveland Browns – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 35.5 (ATS: 3-6-1 – O/U: 4-6)

14. Buffalo Bills (6-5): The Bills got their offense going this week in a 32-6 win over the Jets. Quarterback Josh Allen threw for three touchdowns, one an 81-yard touchdown to wide receiver Khalil Shakir, the former Vista Murrieta high school star. Next: -3 at Philadelphia Eagles – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 48.5 (ATS: 4-7 – O/U: 3-8)

15. Minnesota Vikings (6-5): Quarterback Joshua Dobbs became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw a touchdown and run for a touchdown in each of his first three games with a team. Unfortunately, Dobbs could not lead the Viking to victory, as the Vikings lost to the Broncos, 21-20. Next: -3.5 vs Chicago Bears – Mon, Nov. 27 – O/U: 43.5 (ATS: 7-3-1 – O/U: 3-8)

16. Cincinnati Bengals (5-5): Quarterback Joe Burrow is done for the season and so are the Bengals. Burrow suffered a torn ligament in his right wrist in the loss to the Ravens. Jake Browning, the former Washington Huskies star, will become the starting quarterback for the Bengals. Next: +1.5 vs Pittsburgh Steelers – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U 35.5 (ATS: 4-5-1 – O/U: 5-5)

17. Indianapolis Colts (5-5): The Colts are coming off their bye week and decided to make a roster move, cutting three-time All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard, a surprising move to many people, including Leonard, who is coming off two back surgeries. Next: -2.5 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 43.5 (ATS: 6-4 – O/U: 6-4)

18. New Orleans Saints (5-5): The Saints are coming off their bye week and remain all alone in first place in the NFC South with a 5-5 record, the only non-losing record in the NFC South. The Saint only have one team with a winning record in their final seven games. They should win the NFC South. Next: +1.5 at Atlanta Falcons – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 42.5 (ATS: 2-7-1 – O/U: 3-7)

19. Las Vegas Raiders (5-6): The Raiders battled the Dolphins in Miami, but fell short, losing 20-13. The Raiders will find out just how good they are in the next four weeks, with a pair of games against the Chiefs, starting this weekend. Next: -8.5 vs Kansas City Chiefs – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 43 (ATS: 6-5 – O/U: 2-9)

20. Green Bay Packers (4-6): Quarterback Jordan Love had a career best day on Sunday, throwing for 322 yards and two touchdowns in beating the Chargers, 23-20. The porous Chargers defense allowed 397 yards in offense to the previously struggling Packer offense. Next: +7.5 at Detroit Lions – Thu, Nov. 23 – O/U: 46.5 (ATS: 5-5 – O/U: 4-6)

21. Los Angeles Chargers (4-6): In what has become a familiar weekly issue, the Chargers wasted another terrific performance by quarterback Justin Herbert in a 23-20 loss to the Packers. Herbert threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 73 yards. Pro Football Focus gave Herbert a grade of 92.7 for the week. Herbert had six drops in the game by receivers. Next: +3.5 vs Baltimore Ravens – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 47.5 (ATS: 4-6 – O/U: 3-7)

22. Los Angeles Rams (4-6): The Rams only scored 17 points against the Seahawks, but that was that was needed in the 17-16 victory over the Seahawks. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald had just one tackle in the game, but it was his hit on quarterback Geno Smith that knocked him out of the game and led to the Rams victory, ending a three-game losing streak. Next: -1.5 at Arizona Cardinals – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 44.5 (ATS: 4-5-1 – O/U: 3-7)

23. New York Jets (4-6): The offensively challenged Jets managed to score six points in a 32-6 loss to the Bills. The Jets decided to bench and demote quarterback Zach Wilson and promote Tim Doyle to the starting quarterback position. Wilson has been demoted to the 3rd string quarterback, or for use in emergency purposes only. Next: +9.5 vs Miami Dolphins – Fri, Nov. 24 – O/U: 41 (ATS: 4-5-1 – O/U: 3-7)

24. Atlanta Falcons (4-6): The Falcons are coming off their bye week and have decided to return to Desmond Ritter as their starting quarterback in Week 12. The Falcons need a starting quarterback to have any chance of improving offensively next season. Next: -1.5 vs New Orleans Saints – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 42.5 (ATS: 2-8 – O/U: 4-6)

25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6): The Buccaneers lost to the 49ers, as expected and they fell to 4-6 for the season. The Bucs simply cannot run the football. They are last in the NFL in rushing yardage per game at 76.9 yards per game and last in the NFL in rushing yardage per carry at 3.1 yards per carry. That means Baker Mayfield has to win games with his arm. Good luck with that. Next: +2.5 at Indianapolis Colts – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 43.5 (ATS: 7-3 – O/U: 2-8)

26. Tennessee Titans (3-7): The fading Titans got blown out on the road by the Jaguars, 34-14. The Titans have lost three in a row and five of their last six games and are headed for an interesting offseason with the changes that will be coming in Nashville. Next: -4 vs Carolina Panthers – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 37 (ATS: 4-6 – O/U: 3-7)

27. Chicago Bears (3-8): The Bears managed to blow a 26-14 lead in the final three minutes of the game with the Lions, losing 31-26. Bears head coach Matt Eberflus is 6-22 as a head coach and is on the hottest of coaching seats and the loss to the Lions may serve as his signature loss. Next: +3.5 at Minnesota Vikings – Mon, Nov. 27 – O/U: 43.5 (ATS: 4-5-2 – O/U: 7-4)

28. New York Giants (3-8): Quarterback Tommy DeVito, despite being sacked nine times, found a way to lead the Giants to a 31-19 win over the Commanders. DeVito threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns in the victory, only the second victory for the Giants since September 17th. Both wins are over the Commanders. Next: +3.5 vs New England Patriots – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 34.5 (ATS: 3-7-1 – O/U: 3-8)

29. Washington Commanders (4-7): The Commanders sacked Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito nine times yet somehow managed to lose on Sunday, 31-19. The Commanders also somehow managed to get swept by the Giants. Things got worse after the game when there was no hot water in the stadium to shower with. Unfortunately for head coach Ron Rivera, he will not avoid the hot water. Next: +12.5 at Dallas Cowboys – Thu, Nov. 23 – O/U: 48.5 (ATS: 5-5-1 – O/U: 6-5)

30. Arizona Cardinals (2-9): Quarterback Kyler Murray, a two-time pro bowl selection, is back in action, and despite the loss at Houston on Sunday, looked good. Murray threw for 214 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 51 yards and a touchdown in his second game back from injury. The Cardinals have two 1st round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft and could get better around Murray. Next: +1.5 vs Los Angeles Rams – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 44.5 (ATS: 6-5 – O/U: 6-5)

Mike Nowak

Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen celebrates touchdown against Packers on Sunday at Lambeau Field

31. New England Patriots (2-8): The Patriots avoided losing last week due to a bye. The Patriots are in a good position to finish with a top five pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Pats roster has so many holes that just drafting a top quarterback prospect will not solve their problems. Next: -3.5 at New York Giants – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 34.5 (ATS: 2-8 – O/U: 3-7)

32. Carolina Panthers (1-9): It will be interesting to find out what rookie quarterback Bryce Young is learning from this first season with the Panthers about NFL football. Young has thrown for an average of 187 yards per game, with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions in nine games. He has been sacked 36 times. Young has rushed for 138 yards, which is not particularly impressive given the many times he has had to run for safety. Young might have been better off staying at Alabama another season. Next: +4 at Tennessee Titans – Sun, Nov. 26 – O/U: 37 (ATS: 1-7-2 – O/U: 3-7)

The post 2023 NFL Energy Rankings – Week 12 appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Despite the loss of two major offshore wind farm projects when Danish developer Orsted pulled out of New Jersey, the state is moving forward with its plans to support and grow the nascent industry.

The state Board of Public Utilities on Friday voted to seek bids for a transmission facility into which several offshore wind projects can plug, an important part of getting the power from ocean-based wind turbines into the onshore electrical grid.

But on a more elemental level, Friday’s vote represented a vote of confidence in offshore wind from a state that wants to be the East Coast leader in the industry.

“Recent setbacks will not prevent us from moving forward with our commitment to offshore wind,” said Christine Guhl-Sadovy, the board’s president. “Offshore wind is and continues to be the economic development opportunity of a generation, and remains a key tool in climate change mitigation.”

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The board authorized a solicitation of proposals for an energy transmission system. That system would be “an open-access transmission facility, located either in the Atlantic Ocean or onshore, used to facilitate the collection of offshore wind energy or its delivery to the electric transmission system in this state,” according to a 2019 law.

It would include concrete structures and empty pipes through which power cables would pass. They would be installed in a single construction effort, capable of servicing multiple offshore wind farms.

James Ferris, the deputy director of the board’s clean energy division, said that installing the project all at once “would minimize environmental and community impacts by resulting in a single shore crossing.”

Those eligible to apply include power transmission developers and owners, and offshore wind developers, Ferris said.

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The board vote came nearly three weeks after Orsted, the world’s largest offshore wind developer, scrapped its Ocean Wind I and II projects off the coast of New Jersey. The company cited inflation, supply chain problems and a failure to secure as much government financial subsidies as it wanted as reasons the projects were no longer feasible.

That sent shock waves through the offshore wind industry. It also heartened its opponents, who said Orsted’s decision to walk away from New Jersey and write off $4 billion in losses, mostly due to the cancellations, shows the industry is inherently unprofitable without massive government subsidies.

Shortly after Orsted scraped its projects, numerous community groups celebrated, and promised to oppose other pending wind farms, including one by Atlantic Shores, a project by EDF/Shell.

“The communities of southern New Jersey are surely celebrating the end of the project,” said Joseph Mancini, mayor of Long Beach Township. “New Jersey can harness sustainable energy solutions more effectively without succumbing to the industrialization of the ocean. There are smarter, more considerate avenues to explore that protect our state’s interests and national natural treasures.”

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As the vote was happening, the Southern New Jersey Development Council, a business group, reaffirmed its support for offshore wind projects, calling them “a shining example of responsible environmental stewardship and economic revitalization.”

“Yes, Orsted’s cancellation of the Ocean Wind I and Ocean Wind II projects was a setback, but New Jersey’s continued commitment to offshore wind power is a beacon of hope for a future where renewable energy takes center stage in our fight against climate change, said Marlene Asselta, the group’s president.

Proposals are due by April 3.

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Power Design, Inc. to use Kojo’s all-in-one materials management platform to increase operational efficiency

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Kojo, the construction industry’s leading materials and inventory management platform, today announced that design build multi-trade contractor  Power Design, Inc. has selected Kojo as its procure-to-pay platform. Active across 23 states, Power Design is one of the nation’s largest design build multi-trade contractors and has completed more than 1,700 projects.

Procurement efficiency ties directly to contractors’ bottom lines. Kojo is purpose built to streamline all stages of the procurement process for both field and office teams. It provides detailed analytics to enable better real-time decisions, as well as incremental improvements with each future project. The Kojo platform is trusted by more than 15,000 construction professionals to help them manage projects across 47 states. To date, Kojo has powered over 25,000 projects, saving customers more than $30 million on materials orders.

Power Design is a pioneer in leveraging the latest technologies to streamline processes, reduce waste in material and labor, and improve reliability and consistency. Power Design began implementing Kojo in September 2023, and expects to have all projects fully up and running on the platform by January 2024, helping to improve efficiency across its operations. 

“We’ve been searching for a procure-to-pay system that can be easily adopted by our field teams while giving us accurate purchasing data,” said Joe Dydek, Power Design’s Director of Procurement. “We looked at all the big and small players out there, and Kojo really stood out for us. It is specifically built for the construction industry and its product philosophy centers around driving innovation through data; not to mention that the Kojo team is agile, flexible, and able to adapt to Power Design’s needs. In the past, digging for historic purchasing data took many hours of manual work. With Kojo, we’ll be able to pull that data in real time and have access immediately. Knowing exactly what we are purchasing could easily provide a large savings opportunity through better planning and strategic negotiations. Kojo is also set to help us dramatically reduce purchase order processing time, bring order and control to our purchasing operations, and help us to move faster as a company. We are excited for how Kojo can help us raise the bar and make a difference for us and our projects.”

“We love how forward thinking Power Design is,” said Maria Davidson, founder and CEO of Kojo. “They understand the outsized opportunities that the right technology can bring, they are excited about innovation, and they’re truly committed to bringing excellence to everything they do. We’re excited to help Power Design get to the next level as a business and to continue to work together in growing our product offering for enterprise-level contractors.”

Power Design has been challenging the status quo in the construction industry for 34 years by focusing on the future instead of the past. The award-winning contractor has grown from a small startup in 1989 to more than 2,500 employees located in 23 states today. Power Design currently has more than 400 active projects throughout the country, including the Pendry Tampa in Tampa, Florida, Waller Creek in Austin, Texas, CoStar Richmond Campus in Richmond, Virginia, and Tasman East Apartments and Atria in Santa Clara, California. From pre-construction engineering and virtual design to prefabrication installation and construction, Power Design offers an array of services and practices to be a one-stop shop for partners and projects.

“Power Design is a new breed of forward-thinking, efficiency-obsessed, and community-driven construction business that’s a leader and pioneer in all they do, and we are proud to have them in our chapter,” added Jenny Boone, Vice President of Business Development for IEC Chesapeake, the mid-Atlantic region’s leading electrical and renewable energy contractor association. “Kojo is a well-known and well-loved software to our members, and we are excited to see Power Design and Kojo working together and setting a new standard for what smart application of technology can do for the construction industry.”

About Kojo
Kojo is the construction industry’s leading materials and inventory management platform. Kojo enables trade and self-perform general contractors to streamline every step in the procurement and inventory management process from takeoff to closeout. By connecting field, office, warehouse, accounting, and vendors teams on one software platform, Kojo gives contractors visibility into real-time materials spending and usage, helps them source the best prices and availability across vendors, reduces material waste, and increases labor productivity. To learn more, visit www.usekojo.com.

About Power Design Inc.
Power Design is a national design build contractor, focused on innovative construction across multiple trades: electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and systems technologies. Since 1989, Power Design has disrupted the industry by putting next-generation ideas to powerful, practical use because they care. Power Design designs breakthrough solutions that push the limits of what’s possible by harnessing the collaborative power of their teams to elevate experiences and empower the communities where they live and work. In an industry that tends to look back, Power Design builds better by staying grounded in their values, dedicated to their unique culture, and supportive of work-life balance – making Power Design built to last. By investing in their people and doing things differently, Power Design is designing what’s next. To learn more, visit powerdesigninc.us.

SOURCE Kojo

The post Kojo Provides Energy Design, Inc. As Key New Enterprise Accomplice appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO — As PG&E moves forward with the utility’s plan to bury thousands of miles of power lines underground, there are some who question whether there’s a cheaper alternative to keep the Bay Area safe.

The utility company says it is on track to put hundreds of miles of powerlines underground by the end of 2023. 

KPIX got an up close look of the Vacaville underground circuit. It sits in the burn scar of the 2020 LNU Lightning Complex fires. It is a high fire risk area because of the winds. 

“We had a lot of doubters and I am happy to report that today we completed the civil work for the 350th mile. Our goal is to bury 10,000 miles of line,” said PG&E CEO Patti Poppe. 

She says the underground mission is to  prevent future wildfires and reduce public safety power shutoffs. But it comes at a cost to customers.

“I think what most people are worried about is affordability,” said Poppe. “I just want your viewers to know it is less expensive to bury the lines as we are doing than it is to continue to do overhead conductors and all the vegetation management that goes with it year after year after year.”

“The goal is to have these lines live by the end of the year,” she added. “And once they are all energized, you see those high voltage lines? They are all taken down. “

PG&E is still in the early stages of its undergrounding plan that is scheduled to continue through 2026. Some consumer advocates are opposed to the operation and say it is too expensive. 

“What PG&E has proposed is not affordable for customers,” said Katy Marsony with TURN (which stands for The Utility Reform Network). It advocates on behalf of ratepayers and says a faster and cheaper solution is to insulate power lines instead of burying them.

“We don’t believe that undergrounding is the solution in the customers best interest. With insulating power lines, there is a much lower price point and it is installed much more quickly,” said Marsony  

PG&E’s undergrounding plan still needs the final approval  by the California Public Utilities Commission. A vote is expected in November. Until then, Poppe says the utility company is hoping to deliver on its mission.

More from CBS News

Juliette Goodrich

Emmy award winning reporter and Bay Area native Juliette Goodrich joined KPIX 5 in 1997 and has performed a variety of anchoring and reporting assignments during her time with the station. She is currently the weekend nighttime anchor.

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• Biggest riser: Indianapolis Colts (up four spots since Week 5)

• Biggest faller: New York Giants (down nine spots since Week 5)

• Dig into the numbers for yourself: PFF’s Premium Stats is the most in-depth collection of NFL and NCAA player performance data. Subscribe today to get full access!

Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

You can find a statistical review of Week 5 here.

NFL Week 6 Power Rankings

1. San Francisco 49ers (No change)
2. Kansas City Chiefs (No change)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (up 3)
4. Buffalo Bills (down 1)
5. Miami Dolphins (down 1)
6. Dallas Cowboys (down 1)
7. Detroit Lions (up 1)
8. Jacksonville Jaguars (up 1)
9. Baltimore Ravens (down 2)
10. Los Angeles Chargers (no change)
11. Cleveland Browns (no change)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (no change)
13. Seattle Seahawks (no change)
14. Minnesota Vikings (no change)
15. New York Jets (up 1)
16. New Orleans Saints (up 3)
17. Green Bay Packers (down 2)
18. Washington Commanders (down 1)
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (down 1)
20. Indianapolis Colts (up 4)
21. Los Angeles Rams (up 1)
22. Atlanta Falcons (up 1)
23. Tennessee Titans (down 2)
24. Pittsburgh Steelers (up 3)
25. Denver Broncos (up 1)
26. Houston Texans (up 2)
27. Las Vegas Raiders (up 2)
28. Arizona Cardinals (up 2)
29. New York Giants (down 9)
30. New England Patriots (down 5)
31. Carolina Panthers (no change)
32. Chicago Bears (no change)

The Patriots are struggling. They earned just a 52.3 team passing grade and generated the fewest expected points added (EPA) per play (-0.72) on offense in Week 5. They were successful on only 17.6% of their plays, the lowest rate in the league.

The Bears generated a league-leading 0.27 EPA per play on offense in Week 5, with the offense also ranking first in receiving yards after the catch per reception (10.4). Wide receiver D.J. Moore put up a 92.8 receiving grade, the best mark of his season, thanks to a massive three-touchdown and 230-yard game.

The Commanders called 55 consecutive pass plays from early in the second quarter until the end of the game — a PFF record — racking up a league-high 378 passing yards in the process. However, it still wasn’t enough to save themselves from falling to the Bears at home. 

We’re also reaching the part of the season when injuries start to pile up. Players such as Justin Jefferson, De’Von Achane  and Travis Kelce are now dealing with injuries, so we hope these players and their teams bounce back quickly.

Biggest Riser: Indianapolis Colts

Despite losing quarterback Anthony Richardson mid-game again, the Colts got another win to improve to 3-2. The offensive line looks much improved, with all starters ranking in the top 25% at their respective positions in PFF grade.

While the injury to Richardson certainly hurts, Gardner Minshew is one of the game’s better backups and has posted PFF grades near the 70s in his limited time paired with now-head coach Shane Steichen.

Biggest Faller: New York Giants

It has been tough sledding for the Giants, who are riding a three-game losing streak heading into Week 6. The offensive line has been a train wreck — no lineman has graded above 52.0, and the starting tackles currently rank second- and third-worst at the position. 

The result is that Daniel Jones has been sacked 31 times, and the Giants are generating the second-fewest EPA per play on offense. Entering Week 6, they have a 10% chance of picking first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft and a 48% chance of picking in the top five. 

WAR Lost to Injuries

Note: At the time this graphic was created, De’Von Achane and Tyreek Hill were listed as active.

 Von Miller played only 20 snaps against the Jaguars, but he is back from injury nonetheless. Miller has graded above 85.0 in nine of his 11 seasons as a pro and is quite easily one of the best pass-rushers in modern NFL history. Look for him to make an impact with Matt Milano and DaQuan Jones likely out for the rest of the season.

As if Minnesota’s season couldn’t get any worse, Justin Jefferson suffered a hamstring injury in Week 5 and has since been placed on the injured reserve. The team now needs rookie Jordan Addison (65.1 PFF grade), K.J. Osborn (51.6) and Brandon Powell (70.0 on 28 snaps) to step up in a big way.

The Vikings face the 49ers in two weeks, a tough matchup even with the star pass-catcher in the lineup. According to PFF Greenline, they have had the fourth-hardest schedule to date, but they have the 15th-hardest schedule the rest of the way.

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Dolphins offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn (-0.05 WAR) suffered a neck injury against the Giants in Week 5. While he has not performed well this season, grading negatively on more than 28% of his snaps, the Dolphins are thin along the offensive line. On top of that, Miami also lost De’Von Achane to a knee injury. His backups, Raheem Mostert and Salvon Ahmed, should be able to carry his workload in a scheme that is extraordinarily favorable to the position.

The Cardinals’ leading rusher, James Conner, left last week’s game with a knee injury. The team’s backups have not done much so far this season, with quarterback Joshua Dobbs coming behind Conner in rushing yards.

Click here to see player usage and performance for all 32 teams ahead of Week 6.

Late-Down Decision-Making

The graphic above shows how teams have fared in terms of EPA per play when they go for it on fourth downs. Ironically, the Buccaneers have gone for it the least of any team but have been incredibly successful when they have gone for it. 

The Vikings were aggressive on fourth downs in Week 5, going for it five times. On the year, they’re third in the league in EPA per play on fourth downs at 1.52. 

The Raiders’ win against the Packers was not due to their aggressiveness on fourth down. They punted four times and kicked three field goals, two of which were unsuccessful.

Game Finishers

Note: This graphic includes overtime.

It’s been difficult for teams to stop the 49ers and the Eagles at any time in the game, as you can see above. On top of that, the Eagles defense does not allow their opponents to score often. Through five weeks, 68.6% of their opponents’ drives have ended in no points.

The Patriots offense is reaching a decades-long low point. Belichick’s squad ranks last in the league in EPA per play in both the first and second half. 

This week, the Colts led the league in second-half EPA per play (0.35) against the Titans. As they continue to increase RB Jonathan Taylor’s reps, look for him to make a significant impact. Indy hasn’t been very successful at converting drives, but last week, the team finished sixth in successful drive rate at 50%.

The Trenches

The Saints move up in this metric after an excellent performance against the Patriots on both sides of the ball. Center Erik McCoy was the highest-graded offensive lineman this week (94.4), while the Saints defensive line finished top-five in pressures (16), pressure rate (39.4%) and pass-rush grade (79.6).

Although the Cowboys offensive line usually protects the quarterback well, they struggled this week, allowing pressure on 56.7% of their passing snaps. They posted the worst pass-blocking grade of their season as a result (28.3).

Defensive Success

The Dolphins defense has not been otherwordly this season, but it was successful against the Giants in Week 5. They allowed -0.113 EPA per play, the seventh-best mark in the league. Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins earned a season-best 92.0 pass-rush grade and won one-third of his reps. 

Aidan Hutchinson continues to perform at a high level and earned a career-best 94.1 overall grade in Week 5. The rest of the Lions pass rush as a whole is fairly average, however, as the unit ranks 19th in pass-rush grade through Week 5.

Although the Broncos defense has struggled this season, they have a few bright spots. Alex Singleton posted a 79.9 run-defense grade this week, fifth among linebackers. Defensive end Zach Allen earned an 80.8 pass-rush grade that ranked sixth.

Perfectly Covering Plays

Kyle Shanahan’s offense is moving further away from the pack when it comes to forcing broken coverage on offense.

After a hot start, Mike McDaniel’s offense has cooled down a little bit, but he is still one of the best play-callers in terms of scheming open players, and it helps to have the dynamic duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

On the other end of the spectrum, Matt Canada and Eric Bienemy’s offenses haven’t been that good at forcing coverage mistakes, with both ranking at the bottom of the league in this metric.

Sustaining Drives on Offense

The Rams took the throne from the Bills as the top team at avoiding three-and-outs so far this season. They were able to get past that first series pretty consistently against the Eagles but stalled after that due to bad pass protection from the offensive line.

The Cardinals also fell closer to the league average this week after finishing in second place in this metric in Week 4.

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Sutro Baths in San Francisco (1896-1966), used tidal action to fill its pools, near where the wave motor movement began.  (Public Domain)

It was the American Dream in the Age of Edison, where the unknown backyard tinkerer felt no limits in making an invention that solved timely needs. At the height of the Industrial Revolution, mechanical devises ruled. Coal, oil and gas were the chief fuels, blackening the sky, the buildings, the water, and the lungs, to stoke the furnaces of industry. Yet clean power was as appreciated then as now, harnessing the more consistent features of nature: windmill power, for grinding grain or pumping water, industrial waterwheels, hydro-electric generators, tap water heated by desert sun or mountain chimney-flue.

View across Hall’s Cove shows the framework of the Santa Cruz wave motor, next to its salt water tower. (Ross Eric Gibson collection)

The motion of the waves and tides seemed far more predictable, yet elusive. If the ocean could lift heavy ships, and guide a rudder along a current to follow a course, why couldn’t that power be harnessed? In 1877, Oakland resident Henry Newhouse filed one of the earliest wave motor patents, for “a reservoir to catch the water at high tide, and a discharge basin to let the water out at low tide, and shut it out while the tide is rising.”

Sutro

In 1886, inventor E.T. Steen looked for a spot where the wild waves roared into the coast. He approached Adolph Sutro to lease a section of Sutro’s property north of the Cliff House to build a wave motor. Sutro was intrigued, having made his fortune in 1878 by building the 3-mile “Sutro Tunnel” in Nevada, an engineering achievement that could drain 4 million gallons of water daily from the Comstock Silver Mines. He rented the tunnel to mine owners for $10,000 a day. In 1883, Sutro bought the Cliff House and adjoining land comprising one of the most dangerous and spectacular waterfronts on the coast. Steen’s Wave Motor was designed to send water uphill to a water tank, then run down to a Pelton waterwheel turning a dynamo, producing electricity. It could also fill a reservoir with salt water, and piped to run industrial waterwheels and cable cars, fill swimming pools, sprinkle streets and flush sewer lines.

With Sutro’s encouragement, Steen built his wave motor across the mouth of a sea-cave north of San Francisco’s Cliff House. But even with explosives, the sea was too wild and the seabed too hard to excavate a pit in the sea-floor to allow the pendulum to work correctly.  Through experimentation, this was apparently replaced with a fan-like paddle. When they built the water tower, the pipes leading up to it were destroyed 14 times. After five of months construction, they declared a success in December 1886. Yet they hadn’t accounted for rough weather damaging the motor. Then on Jan. 16, 1887, a schooner was shipwrecked, and its cargo of 80,000 pounds of dynamite exploded, destroying the vessel, and wrecking the wave motor. Sutro encouraged Steen to rebuild, but Steen hadn’t paid any rent. On Sept. 3, 1887, Sutro opened his reservoir on a shelf of land south of the wave motor, and called it his salt water aquarium.

Seeing the possibility for a heated swimming pool, Sutro laid the foundations in 1891 to build the world’s largest indoor plunge baths. His million-gallon tanks could be refilled in an hour using the power of the tides, or in five hours at low tide. That year, Sutro replaced Steen with inventor Henry P. Holland. His new wave motor sat just offshore from the first, with the framework high on a crag, linked to the coast by a rickety swinging bridge. His design was vastly different from the previous, using a 3,000 pound iron buoy, with the tanked water intended to power multiple electric-generating water wheels. But the crag-top machinery was so vulnerable to strong winds and crashing surf, that they were unable to stay ahead of its constant damage, and it shut down. Sutro opened his baths in 1896.

Capitola

In 1895, San Francisco inventor Emil Gerlach arrived from a fundraising failure in Santa Monica, to build his wave motor in Capitola. He lined up local backers attracted to his infectious enthusiasm, promising cheap electricity from the constant untapped energy of the tide, which might power an electric train between Santa Cruz and Capitola.

Gerlach leased the Capitola Wharf, and explained that previous wave motor machines had failed, having been built before electricity had been fully developed. “Cumulative batteries” had become necessary to store the electricity. His more than $23,000 wave motor included an apparatus weighing 30 tons, with the largest balance-wheel in the state. In 1896, Gerlach gave his motor a final test, pronouncing it a success, and “the nearest thing to perpetual motion the world will ever know… .”  Unfortunately, his discovery turned out to be perpetual stillness, as the Sentinel noted: “The Gerlach Wave Motor does not allow itself to be disturbed by the waves.” Gerlach said it failed because of its location.

Carefully watching this project were the Armstrongs, Will and his half-brother Ned, a chief of police. In 1897, local and San Francisco investors were relieved when the Capitola Wharf was leased by wave motor inventor Henry Schomberg from Los Gatos. At a local bakery, Schomberg displayed a working model of his design, to transform wave action into compressed air.

Schomberg felt that previous wave motors mistakenly harnessed the forward motion of the waves, while his focused on up-and-down motion, compressing the pistons with either shallow or deep strokes. He believed this build-up of compressed air could then be piped away like gas, working on the basis of a steam engine, only without the fuel and water. But this did not succeed; and Francis M. Graham’s wave motor experiments on Lighthouse Point in 1897 resulted in a patent, but nothing else.

Santa Cruz

The Armstrong brothers felt Gerlach’s project could have been done more simply, so they invented their own version of a wave motor. Yet the large sums lost and shady wave motor schemes of others were discouraging investments. The Armstrongs forged ahead, building several scaled down prototypes, testing each on a barge off Black Point and Twin Lakes. Success happened when a wave motor launched a water spout into the air. City councilmen came out to watch these experiments, becoming impressed. The city was in a drought, and the town’s dirt streets needed to be sprinkled, to reduce dust clouds kicked up by horse and wagon, with saltwater to kill the weeds. The council promised if the Armstrongs could build a working wave motor on shore, the City Council would provide $100 to build a 60-foot water tower.

At the west end of West Cliff Drive, R.H. Hall (father-in-law of Fred Swanton) provided a cliffside site on his dairy ranch not far from the Natural Bridges. This site was sometimes referred to as the Ventarron (Spanish for gales) because of the frequent strength of the winds and waves. Atop the 50-foot bluffs, the Armstrongs sunk two shafts in the cliff, one 8 feet in diameter and the other 5 feet, connected at the bottom to a tunnel for the in-rushing tides. A four-posted derrick over these wells suspended a float in one shaft, whose rise and fall drove a pump in the other shaft.

When the wave motor was completed, a demonstration for the City Council was attended by many other Santa Cruzans. They cheered when a geyser of sea water shot 60-feet in the sky. So the tower was built with a water tank on the top. Because the 6,000 gallon tank capacity could be filled in an hour, the motor had a barrel one could fill with water to plug the intake and turn off the wave motor, reducing wear and tear.

The Santa Cruz Wave Motor became famous, often praised in newspapers and magazines as the world’s only working wave motor. An article appeared in Scientific American (Jan. 4, 1902) detailing its mechanical workings, and in the Marine Journal of New York (Jan. 1, 1910), hoping this promised a future without over-reliance on coal, gas and oil. The tower became a tourist attraction, seen for quite a distance, and some enjoyed a climb to the top for spectacular views. It appeared on souvenir porcelain and silverware. Subsequent wave motors would compare themselves to Santa Cruz, although few others succeeded.

Fred Starr began promoting an electric-generating wave motor in San Francisco about September 1905, showing off a working prototype on the Mission Street pier, operated by a steam engine, but keeping the details secret. Santa Cruz was bewildered when the Patent Office seemed to declare the Starr Patent to be the first working wave motor. Starr was prepared to build it near the Cliff House, but the 1906 earthquake sent Starr to Los Angeles, where he built a wave motor and pier at Redondo Beach in 1907. After spending $65,000, the project failed in 1908, and Starr had a nervous break-down, dissolving his company.

Santa Cruz seemed to be the first successful wave motor, and the Armstrongs had plans to eventually add water wheels to generate electricity. But as city streets became paved, the need for salt water sprinkling disappeared, and the wave motor was torn down. For years after, its blow hole delighted passers-by as an Old Faithful. Yet not withstanding the viability of various wave motors, their inventors were pioneers of an early green technology.

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Tower-of-Power – Credit: Bruce Steinberg/MGM+

From 1965 to 1975, San Francisco saw the rise of the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Sly and the Family Stone, Janis Joplin, Big Brother & the Holding Company, Steve Miller, Santana, Moby Grape and more. A new two-part docuseries, San Francisco Sounds: A Place, examines this decade that propelled Bay Area musicians into the national scene.

The documentary is directed by Alison Ellwood and Anoosh Tertzakian, and comes from the same team behind the three-time Emmy-nominated documentary Laurel Canyon: A Place in Time including Jigsaw Productions, The Kennedy/Marshall Company, Amblin Television, and Jeff Pollack.

More from Rolling Stone

A press release describes the upcoming film as capturing the “creative explosion in San Francisco that catalyzed and solidified a national movement for a whole generation,” which included “the emergence of growing-breaking live music impresario, Bill Graham, and seminal festivals—Monterey Pop, Altamont, and Woodstock.”

The film’s trailer features both behind-the-scenes footage and live performances from the period, and is executive produced by Frank Marshall, Jeff Pollack, Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, Stacey Offman, Richard Perello, Alison Ellwood, and Jeff Jampol.

San Francisco Sounds: A Place in Time airs Sundays starting Aug. 20 and 27, 2023 at 10:00 p.m. ET on MGM+.

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Click here to read the full article.

The post Grateful Useless, Tower of Energy, Santana and Extra Function in ‘San Francisco Sounds: A Place in Time’ appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Security guards and portable toilets spotted at PG&E substations around San Francisco could be linked to a recent break-in at a facility, raising safety concerns among consumer advocates amid attacks on power grids across the country.

According to the San Francisco Police Department, the break-in occurred at 8:39 p.m. on June 9 at the PG&E substation on Leidesdorff Street near Commercial Street.

“We witnessed an unauthorized break-in at a San Francisco substation and are working with law enforcement to investigate,” PG&E spokesman Jason King confirmed, adding that there were no power outages related to the incident.

According to initial police investigations, an unknown person gained access to the facility and manipulated a control panel in the electrical system. PG&E security personnel notified the FBI after the incident.

Dispatch audio recordings from the time of the incident described it as “sabotage” and classified it as malicious mischief or vandalism.

District Manager Aaron Peskin, who represents the area, didn’t know if guards were stationed at other PG&E substations in San Francisco, but said the incident may have been a reason to add them.

“If there are guards, I’m assuming it’s not because of broken transformers, but because they hacked into one of their substations,” Peskin said.

When asked if the incident resulted in an increased security presence around the utility’s San Francisco substations, King said he couldn’t name specific security measures to “avoid giving anyone a roadmap.”

Security guards and mobile toilets were spotted at three substations in different parts of the city.

Attacks on the power grid in the United States

Recent attacks on nine substations in North Carolina, Washington and Oregon have increased concerns about power grid security.

The New York Times reported in February that the FBI had offered two $25,000 rewards for information leading to the conviction of those responsible for two shootings at a North Carolina substation in December and January. The January incident left 45,000 people without power for five days.

Recent attacks have made network security a key priority for North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC).

“The increase in physical attacks on the nation’s power infrastructure underscores the need to continue to assess potential grid vulnerabilities and determine whether additional security controls are needed to more fully protect this critical infrastructure going forward,” said Rachel Sherrard, spokeswoman for NERC. in an opinion.

According to one report, PG&E spent $300 million protecting substations after a San Jose substation was hit by gunfire in 2013, causing $15 million in damage.

The San Jose incident prompted a brief statewide safety assessment, according to Thomas Long, director of regulatory strategy at the Utility Reform Network, a California consumer advocacy group for utilities.

“There was some effort [California] “The Public Utilities Commission needs to look into whether PG&E and other utilities are taking care of the adequate security of these substations, but that was many years ago and I don’t recall there being a public inquiry,” Long said.

It has long been questioned whether regulators will hold PG&E accountable for making proper use of its revenue, which is funded by the high utility fees paid by consumers.

“I don’t know if PG&E is doing enough security efforts given the money taxpayers are paying,” he said. “Our tariffs fund PG&E to provide these security guards at the substations.”

The California Public Utilities Commission did not respond to comment at the time of publication.

In late April, thousands of customers in Downtown and Chinatown were without power for five days after a fire at a PG&E underground vault at 640 Clay St. The San Francisco Fire Department responded in less than four minutes, but it took PG&E 20 minutes to arrive at the scene.

The delay in emergency response time and restoration of power prompted Peskin to convene a May 18 hearing where residents of affected areas criticized the utility.

“There have been numerous failures of vaults and other PG&E equipment over many years,” Peskin said at the hearing. “This particular incident is characterized by the fact that […] power was restored to the last buildings and individuals 123 hours later.”

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