Wildfire Safety Overspending Pushes PG&E Bills Higher in 2024, Charities Under Strain
Source: Fox 26 News Fresno | By Rich Rodriguez
Your PG&E bill is going up again. That's twice since the start of 2024. PG&E customers started the new year with a $38 rate hike. Last week PG&E went back to the California Public Utilities Commission and got the okay to raise rates another $5.
What's behind the hikes? The executive director of TURN-The Utility Reform Network, Mark Toney says PG&E exceeded its budget on wildfire safety. "So they have a 9 billion overspend but they keep coming back to ratepayers to say we need you to pay for this piece of it. We need you to pay for that piece of it," Toney said. So how is PG&E allowed to overspend on wildfire mitigation? Mark Toney says in 2019 the state legislature passed AB-1054 that created a wildfire insurance fund. He says if a utility has a cost overrun it can go back to the PUC and ask for recovery from ratepayers. "They have a credit card with no limit and a guarantee that ratepayers are going to pay for it. That is the cause of overspending. No limit," Toney said. The new rate goes into effect in April. Mark Toney says ratepayers need to complain to their state lawmakers and Governor Newsom.
