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PG&E customers likely to get hit with rate hikes

September 15, 2023

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

Power bills are likely to increase for 16 million Californians, including Central Coast residents, following a plan put forward by state regulators to allow PG&E to raise the rates its customers pay. [NBC Bay Area]

Initially, PG&E requested a rate increase large enough to boost its revenue by 26%. On Wednesday, the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) released two proposals that would increase the utility’s revenue by half of that request or less.

One proposal, written by administrative law judges, would increase PG&E’s revenue by 13%. The other proposal comes from John Reynolds, the PUC commissioner assigned to PG&E’s case. Reynolds’s proposal would raise PG&E’s revenue by 9%. 

The commission has not said how much the proposed rate hikes would amount to for the average residential consumer. The Utility Reform Network, which advocates on behalf of ratepayers, said one PUC proposal would increase the typical resident’s bill by $28 a month, while the other would increase the typical residential bill by $24 a month. 

PG&E has been seeking more revenue in part to fund a plan to bury about 2,100 miles of power line to help prevent wildfires. The utility has argued burying power lines is the best way to essentially eliminate the risk of strong winds knocking down power lines and sparking wildfires. 

The Utility Reform Network has argued that insulating power lines is a faster and cheaper way to reduce wildfire risk. It appears the PUC agrees with the ratepayer advocates, as both of its proposals call for insulating more power lines and burying few of them. 

Commissioners are scheduled to consider the proposed rate hikes during the PUC’s Nov. 2 meeting. 


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So for decades PG&E fails to maintain the safety of their distribution system, and uses ratepayers money not to bury, improve and otherwise reinforce their system but to pad the pockets of execs, administration and stock holders and when their failure finally burns down the state, killing many, instead of being held responsible and being forced to finally maintain their system at their expense they are allowed to force the ratepayers to pay again for what should have been done all along. Clearly putting money into our governors and other officials campaigns pays off.


2

Well this what happens when you’re allowed to sue the bejezzes out of a company for trees falling a power line. Everyone wanted the lines buried – until the bill shows up.


9

But but but but I was told Heidi’s CCCE would end the evil rate hikes of PG&E!


22

PGE is not a government entity.

There will be no watchdog to see if the rate hike money is going to improve their electrical infrastructure.


18

Right Shoot. But their shareholders and employees will reap the ill-gotten gain from this travesty against us, the rate payers.


14

I wouldn’t count PG&E giving very much to their employees or shareholders their higher ranking people and ceo yes fix imfrastructure maybe 10 %


5

Actually the cpuc oversees everything they do and has the authority to intervene including what the funding is going to.


2

The CPUC looking out for the public’s interest is highly questionable.


2

Likely should of said WILL !! no likely about it. Every thing from electricity,gas,water ,sewer etc has increased 25% or more but they say inflation is at 3% . When prices go up 25% and never comes back down that’s 25% inflation in my book. Any of you get a 25% raise this yr except for Government employees?


22

“Power bills are likely to increase”.

What a load of crap statement that is! My rates as I’m sure everyone’s rates across the board have already increased thanks to PG&E’s absolute overt malfeasance over the years.

Screwed again as always. “LET’S GO PG&E!”


22