Officials weigh proposal to raise electric rates of 16 million customers
Source: Spectrum News 1 | By Jamie Kennedy
PG&E aims to bury 10,000 miles of power lines. The company said it costs $3 million per mile and is asking the California Public Utilities Commission to let the company raise rates by 25% over four years to bury 2,000 lines.
The commission has returned with two counter options to bury much fewer miles of lines and insulate them instead for wildfire protection because the cost is so high. An issue the utility consumer advocacy group, Turn, believes is critical given rates for customers have in the last few years increased by over 30%, outpacing inflation, executive director of Turn Mark Toney said. “It is faster and cheaper and as safe to insulate the overhead lines as it is to bury them underground,” Toney said.
