California adopts one of nation’s highest fixed-utility fees

Utilities owned by PG&E Corp., Edison International and Sempra will be able to charge many customers about $24 a month starting at the end of the year to cover their infrastructure costs, according to a decision Thursday by the California Public Utilities Commission. The California Public Utilities Commission voted to let the state’s big investor-owned utilities — including Pacific Gas & Electric, Edison International and Sempra — add a fixed charge to people’s power bills each month.

Rates have doubled for many customers, who are paying for utilities to spend billions of dollars to update their aging grids and work on reducing the risk of their power lines sparking more catastrophic wildfires. “It provides affordability for lower-income Californians and those living in other parts of the state most impacted by extreme weather,” California Public Utilities Commission President Alice Busching Reynolds said.

A group of 18 members of Congress from California have called on the commission to keep the rate low, noting the national average for fixed charges on utility bills is $11. Some Democrats and Republicans in the state Legislature have backed a bill that would cap the charge at $10 per month.

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Источник: FoxNews - 🏆 9. / 87 Прочитайте больше »