Tangipa Sends Letter Opposing Recent CPUC Approved Rate Hikes

Photo by Mark Truppner

Sacramento, CA — The California Public Utilities Commission approved six different rate increases this year impacting customer’s PG&E bills.

Some took effect this year, and a couple of others will not be implemented until the coming two years.

New District 8 Republican Assemblyman David Tangipa, who represents the Mother Lode region, has sent a letter of displeasure to the CPUC members.

He writes, “As an elected official representing rural and low-income communities across California, I write to express my strong opposition to the recent approval of the ‘holiday rate hikes,’ the sixth such approval in the last year. This decision is deeply concerning and raises significant questions about the long-term impacts of these cumulative increases on working families throughout California. Before proceeding with yet another rate hike, the Commission must take a step back to assess the real-world consequences of the previous five increases, which have yet to be fully realized.”

Some of the new money (hike approved last week) will go toward vegetation management and extending the operation of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant.

Tangipa adds, “Transparency and accountability must guide decisions that impact millions of residents. Endless rate hikes cannot be the sole solution to addressing PG&E’s financial or operational challenges. The Commission must insist on creative, sustainable alternatives that do not simply transfer the burden to ratepayers.”