On Wednesday Pacific Gas & Electric requested a $3.6 billion rate hike to help it pay for wildfire-proofing its power systems.
The company asked regulators for the hike to begin in 2023, with half of the increase devoted to wildfire safety, according to reporting by the Sacramento Bee.
The hike would increase the average residential bill by $36 a month for gas and electric service.
PG&E asked for the hike as wildfire season rages on in California and the West has some of the highest temperatures seen in recent years.
Some of the state’s worst fires have been blamed on sparking PG&E equipment, most notably in 2017 and 2018 when a series of wildfires burned down more than 28,000 buildings and killed more than 100 people.
PG&E spent 17 months in bankruptcy court negotiating a $13.5 billion settlement with wildfire victims and pleading guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter in Butte County, the location of the 2018 Camp Fire.
Although the company has emerged from bankruptcy, there has still been criticism over their operations, such as the mandatory rolling blackouts during high temperatures. The utility has been spending money on new technology to better protect against wildfires.
The Utility Reform Network, a San Francisco-based consumer group, vehemently condemned the rate hike request.
“This mind-boggling 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,” Mark Toney, the group's executive director, said in a statement.
Related
