SACRAMENTO, California — Matt Baker, the newest member of the California Public Utilities Commission, has arguably one of the toughest jobs in the state: tackling its soaring utility bills.
Gov. Gavin Newsom named him to the five-member commission last month straight from the agency’s Public Advocates Office, which represents ratepayer interests. Baker made a name for himself calling for reduced reimbursements for rooftop solar, a medium-sized fixed charge on utility bills and smaller rate increases from Pacific Gas & Electric.
Now, he’s thinking about how to manage the costs of climate change, like undergrounding power lines to reduce wildfire risk.
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But Baker won’t be exclusively focused on keeping costs down in his new role.
