PG&E Strives to Slow Pace of Increases in Electric and Gas Bills: Company CEO

Source: The Mercury News  |  By George Avalos

“We see a future where customers’ bills can start to come down,” Poppe said in response to questions from this news organization about fast-rising ratepayer costs, after an event PG&E hosted in Richmond. The surprising comment struck some reform advocates as too good to be true.

Mark Toney, executive director of The Utility Reform Network, a consumer group, was skeptical that PG&E will rein in the pace of monthly bill increases. “I’ll believe it when I see it,” Toney said in an interview about Poppe’s comments. “The prices are so doggone high now they would need to come down significantly to make a difference and make them affordable.” “I find it very hard to believe PG&E, given that the company has a dozen rate increases currently in front of the PUC,” Toney said. “There are a host of proposals that will all impact customers.”