California lawmakers are investigating rising electricity bills amid frustrations with major utilities like PG&E, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric. Despite recent studies highlighting the issues, experts, including state senator Bob Archuleta, indicate that significant reductions in costs are unlikely. The Public Advocates Office cites factors including wildfire management and infrastructure upgrades as key drivers in the escalation of bills. Since 2015, bills have surged by 70% to 100%, compelling lawmakers to seek incremental changes rather than dramatic decreases in costs.
"Even if we have these solutions, it's not going to drop your bill from $500 to $200," said Sen. Bob Archuleta, D-Pico Rivera. "But these small steps will add up as we go along."
According to the Public Advocates Office, the average October 2024 electric bill for customers of those companies was more than $150 in San Jose and the Los Angeles area.
Since 2015, bills from those three big utilities have risen between 70% and 100%, outpacing the rate of inflation.
Much of the frustration from lawmakers focused on the three large investor-owned utilities: PG&E, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric.
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