CHICO, Calif. — The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) held the third of nine scheduled public participation hearings Wednesday in Butte County over Pacific Gas and Electric Company's (PG&E) proposed rate increases.
The San Francisco based company is asking the CPUC to increase its gas and electric rates to generate an additional $1 billion in revenue in 2020. If approved, the company estimates that rate hike will cost the average customer about $10.57 per month.
The rate increases will be used toward wildfire safety, increased fire insurance liability, and operating costs, the company said.
Before the 1 p.m. meeting started, demonstrators stood outside the Butte County Association of Government Chambers where the hearing was held. They held signs that listed their demands, which call for no state bailout for PG&E, for public worker control of the company, and a green new deal. A second portion of the hearing in Chico also took place at 6 p.m.
At least 100 people crowded the boardroom to voice their opinions on the proposed rate hikes.
Senior Manager of PG&E’s North Valley Division, Carl Schoenhofer, addressed the public at the start of the nearly three-hour long hearing.
"Our customers feedback in this process is crucial for us to hear because the application outlines a series of critical safety investments to help address the states growing wildfire threat and further protect the 16 million people we serve,” Schoenhofer said.
PG&E has a monopoly over its 16 million customers in Northern and Central California. The company has faced intense public scrutiny in recent years for its equipment being blamed for the cause of numerous deadly fires.
Fire investigators said the company is to blame for causing the Camp Fire, the most deadly and devastating fire in state history. The fire was sparked by a PG&E transmission line in Butte County. More than 19,000 structures were destroyed, 85 people died, and the costs are estimated in the billions.
Many of the people who spoke brought up frustrations, concerns, and proposed solutions for PG&E and state regulators. Debra Harmon-Jones spoke in front of state regulators on behalf of fire victims and survivors.
“Fire victims who endured deaths and total home and possession loss should not pay higher rates…,” Harmon-Jones said.
Susan Sullivan is urging the CPUC to do a better job at inspecting the company’s equipment for safety.
“The job of the CPUC should have been to hound on PG&E to make sure their system was safe and inspected and repaired,” Sullivan said. “I don’t know how you go home and sleep at night.”
The CPUC will host six similar hearings in Fresno, San Jose, Bakersfield, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Rosa later this month and in August.
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