SACRAMENTO, California — A California lawmaker wants to force the state’s investor-owned utilities to reduce their rates by 25 percent, joining a nationwide push to target soaring energy bills amid rising concern over cost-of-living issues.
What happened: In the coming days, state Assemblymember Tasha Boerner, a Democrat, told POLITICO she plans to unveil AB 1677, which would mandate the large rate reductions. Boerner’s office shared a draft of the legislation with POLITICO.
Why it matters: The San Diego Democrat’s proposal could scramble the complex, yearslong process that the California Public Utilities Commission follows to set the rates that Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric are allowed to charge their customers. Massive infrastructure investments to harden the grid from wildfires have driven California’s rising energy rates, and a drastic bill cut would lead to uncertainty about how utilities should pay for wildfire-related work.
Boerner, in an interview, argued immediate steps are needed to lower energy bills for customers served by California’s investor-owned utilities.
