50%? 36%? 18%? PG&E Wants to Hike Electricity and Gas Rates. But There’s Confusion Over How High.

Source: GV Wire  | By Nancy Price

THE PAIN IS REAL.

Pacific Gas and Electric is seeking an increase in electricity and gas rates from the California Public Utilities Commission, a request that has produced a growing storm of critical voices from consumers whose budgets are pinched by other rising costs.

But just how high does PG&E want to push up the rates? The PUC, PG&E, and TURN — The Utility Reform Network, a public advocacy nonprofit — are coming up with different estimates.

Part of the problem, says Mark Toney, TURN’s executive director, is that PG&E continues to revise its application, and each time that happens TURN and the PUC have to recalculate their numbers.

TURN’s initial analysis of the PG&E pending general rate case proposal, 21-06-021, predicted that rates would climb by 36% this year and by 50% by 2026, Toney told GV Wire on Friday.

Toney said that increase could disappear later this year if electricity and gas prices drop. But if the proposed rate hike is approved in September — the PUC has said it expects a decision by the third quarter — customers will see an even bigger boost to their bills because the rate increase will be retroactive to January, Toney said.

The rate hike is only one pending PG&E issue under consideration by the PUC, Toney said. The utility also has submitted “Wildfire Mitigation and Catastrophic Event” applications for 2019, 2020, and 2021 totaling $4.4 billion.”

“There are billions of dollars that are on the table for mitigation recovery that PG&E is requesting that ratepayers pay. And you’re right, those would stack on top of the GRC, they’re not included in the GRC,” he said. “We’re talking some big, big, ugly numbers.”