SACRAMENTO, California — California energy regulators on Thursday approved a 9 percent rate hike for Southern California Edison customers on the back of wildfire costs and grid upgrades.
What happened: The California Public Utilities Commission’s decision will raise customer rates by an average of $16 per month. Regulators had postponed the vote from August, when the agency had put forth a proposal that would have increased 2025 rates by $17, or 10 percent, for the average customer.
Why it matters: The bill hike, which will take effect starting in October, comes at a time when state leaders are striving to make California a less expensive place to live. Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers focused heavily on energy affordability in this year’s legislative session, but the rate spike hammers home the fact that costs are continuing to rise despite the high-profile efforts.
CPUC leaders framed the decision as a compromise, noting that they approved revenue collection of $4.4 billion less than SCE requested. Commissioners Alice Reynolds, Darcie Houck, John Reynolds and Karen Douglas all voted in favor of the rate increase. Commissioner Matthew Baker recused himself from the vote. He did not cite a reason for doing so.
