Three ways California can Help Bring your PG&E bill Down Right Now

Source: San Francisco Chronicle  |  By Katy Morsony

PG&E rates have increased a staggering 128% over the past decade, leavingCalifornians struggling to keep up with exorbitant utility bills. Part of this increaseis due to management failures by PG&E’s current and past CEOs. But the morealarming portion results from PG&E’s exploitation of the regulatory system tocharge customers for the most expensive infrastructure options, prioritizing utilityprofits over affordable alternatives, at the expense of your savings account.

Let me be clear — wildfire mitigation work and ensuring our electric infrastructurecan withstand the challenges of climate change is crucial. PG&E’s utilityequipment has been responsible for some of California’s most destructive fires.However, California has given the utilities little motivation to keep the costs downfor these initiatives. Utilities benefit from charging customers as much as possiblefor infrastructure upgrades due to the guaranteed profits they earn on this work,known as a rate of return. The higher the total costs, the higher the utilities’ profits.