SACRAMENTO – Assemblyman Joe Patterson (R-Rocklin), along with Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher, introduced AB 2205 to direct the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to cut electricity rates for Californians by 30 percent.
After seeing repeated proposals to increase rates due to various state mandates, Patterson introduced legislation to rein-in rates and give Californians a break from unsustainable and out-of-control electricity bills.
“Not a day goes by without someone contacting me about their unaffordable electricity bills” said Assemblyman Joe Patterson. “Nobody should have to choose between heating their homes and buying food. It is time for the CPUC to focus more on affordability of this necessary service.”
Californians have seen their electricity bills skyrocket as much as 127%, placing a huge burden on already-struggling families and small businesses. According to the Transparency Foundation and the CPUC itself, California’s electricity rates are double the national average, costing residents an extra $1,096 more per year than Americans living in other states. Much of this is due to unrelated mandates and causes that have nothing to do with providing electricity.
“The cost of electricity has squeezed Californians to a breaking point,” Patterson said. “Working families are afraid to turn on their heaters or air conditioner not knowing what their bill will be the following month. Too many Californians are struggling to make ends meet – bringing their electric bills down will ease that burden and improve people’s quality of life.”
Current California law allows the California Public Utilities Commission to regulate utility rate increases. Despite a requirement that these rates be “just and reasonable,” massive rate increases have been approved year after year. Patterson’s bill would mandate the commission lower the per kilowatt-hour charge to consumers by no less than 30 percent.
Related
- Feb 2 – Bill Seeks to Prevent Utility Influence on Ratemaking Decisions
- Nov 17 – PG&E Bills Set to Increase by More than $32 Per Month
- Oct 7 – California Climate Credit Helps PG&E Customers Transition to Low-Carbon Future
- Sept. 20 – PG&E Says Energy Bills Will Increase this Winter
- March 7 – PG&E Customers’ March Natural Gas Bills Expected to Decrease on Average 75%
6 comments
Unlikely to pass but its a step. PGE is a shit company and has been gouging us for decades. Much respect for the folks doing the work. But absolutely Greedy and corrupt at the top.
Empty political posturing…
I don’t think so, this time. There is more and more noise about this problem as well as what happened before this was approved by the CPUC.
At the end of the day, when we say we hate PG&E we also mean the CPUC. The CPUC seems to have free rein or simply know how to manipulate what they want to achieve it. Howard Jarvis and other org’s tried stopping this ill-conceived utility tax to no avail.
NO – WHAT IS NEEDED HERE IS A DISBANDING OF THE CPUC, TO BE REPLACED BY A COMMITTEE OF CONSUMERS’ AND BUSINESSES!!!
And for his next act , he will magically lower the price of food and raise your wages.
PG&E and the Ca CPUC are completely corrupted. Keep in mind, that some of those serving on the CPUC are ex executives from Utility Companies. We need to get rid of these greedy private corrupt utility companies and switch over to public run utilities like Sacramento has. When you are beholden to stockholders and corrupt CEO’s, no good can ever come from that. A report came out recently that said PG&E rate payers pay the highest utility rates in America next to Hawaii. Dump this corrupt utility.
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