SACRAMENTO, Calif — The Pacific Gas and Electric Corporation (PG&E) is proposing a rate increase to help in its wildfire prevention efforts. The increase, which would generate billions of dollars, would not go into effect until 2023.
According to PG&E, the proposal includes $7.4 billion in new investments from 2023 - 2026 to help keep customers safe and reduce the impacts of climate change.
If approved in its entirety by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), electricity and gas customers would see their bills increase by about $1 per day, according to PG&E. A California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) customer would see their bill go up by about $0.80 per day.
According to data from PG&E's application, the average customer bill increase is estimated at $36.
"With these new safety, risk reduction, reliability improvements and clean energy investments as part of this GRC and other filings, the average residential customer bill is expected to increase about five percent annually, on average, from 2021 through 2026," PG&E said in a news release.
PG&E filed the rate increase proposal with the CPUC on Wednesday. In it, they outlined their plan for utilizing the money, including “investments in grid safety and resiliency, new technology and innovations, and gas and electric system infrastructure improvements to benefit its customers,” the company wrote in a press release.
Specifically, PG&E said it wants to invest in technologies that can detect downed wires, installing more underground wires, installing sectionalizing devices – or microgrids – to limit the size of customer impacts during Public Safety Power Shutoffs, and much more.
The watchdog group The Utility Reform Network (TURN) issued a press release blasting PG&E for its request.
“This mindboggling PG&E increase is a slap in the face to millions of California residents still hurting economically from the pandemic and struggling to get back on their feet,” the group wrote, calling on the CPUC to reject the proposal.
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