California regulator lets SCE charge ratepayers for damages from Thomas Fire

By Blanca Begert | 01/31/2025 06:29 AM EST

The vote comes against a backdrop of lawsuits claiming the utility is responsible for the recent Eaton Fire in Los Angeles.

Strong winds blow embers from a burning tree during the Thomas Fire of 2017.

The 2017 Thomas Fire, at the time one of the largest in state history, destroyed 1,063 structures in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, killed two people and led to deadly mudslides that killed 23 more. David McNew/Reuters/Newscom

California regulators voted Thursday to approve Southern California Edison’s request to charge customers for $1.6 billion in damages from wildfires and mudslides.

What happened: The California Public Utilities Commission voted to allow the utility to recover from customers approximately $1.6 billion in claim settlements related to the 2017 Thomas Fire and subsequent Montecito debris flows. Edison shareholders will cover the other $1 billion that the utility requested, along with an additional $50 million for wildfire mitigation projects paid over five years.

SCE said residential customers will see their bills increase by about $1 per month as a result of the agreement, which the CPUC’s ratepayer advocate’s office approved.

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Context: The vote comes at a moment when Los Angeles residents have filed multiple lawsuits against Southern California Edison, alleging that the utility was responsible for sparking the costly Eaton Fire that destroyed close to 10,000 structures and killed 17 people. Official investigations are ongoing, and the Los Angeles County Fire Department has asked SCE to preserve in place transmission facilities near the site of the fire’s origin, according to a Jan. 27 SCE filing.

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