A new Tax on Uber and Lyft

Source: Politico  |  By Alex Nieves

The details are quite gory, but basically, the commission made a change to one of the ways it adjusts the return it allows utilities to book when they invest in big transmission lines and smaller-scale power poles, wires and substations. The utilities need to make a lot more of those investments to deliver enough power around the state to support California’s transition from a fossil-fuel based economy to one that runs on electricity. The change is expected to save ratepayers a total of about $360 million next year, according to an estimate from The Utility Reform Network.

But the change was supported by consumer advocates including the California Public Advocates Office, and Mark Toney, TURN’s executive director, was willing to give credit where he said it’s due. “This is an important first step in providing rate relief, but so much more needs to be done,” he said.