As in year’s past, we in California greet the New Year with yet another electric rate increase. It’s almost impossible to believe this time — but on January 1, 2024, PG&E raised electric rates by another 28.4% according to the San Jose Mercury News.
Just follow the money. Since 2017, Utilities and the IBEW spent over $111 million on politicians and ballot measures to maintain their monopoly. So it should be no surprise that our government passed laws that make California’s peak rates the highest in the country.
The Solar Rights Alliance compiled this list of Utility and IBEW Contributions from publicly available data. So you can see for yourself how much your own politicians — from the Governor on down — accepted in contributions.
Please listen to this episode of the Energy Show as I connect the dots from these contributions to:
…Anti-solar laws passed by California’s Legislature
…The Governor’s appointments of new California Public Utilities Commissioners
…The end of Net Metering
…An array of hostile rooftop solar policies affecting homes and businesses
…Out-of-control utility spending on long distance transmission lines on which utilities get a guaranteed 12% annual profit
…The impact on low- and middle-income residents
…The crash of California’s rooftop solar and storage industry
…The $500+ million budget deficit these job losses will create for California
…And the $500+ million in extra revenue that utilities will rake in from these lost home and business solar installations.
My two recommendations to reduce your electric rates are simple:
1. Vote these politicians out, and
2. Consider installing your own rooftop solar and storage system
Please share this Energy Show podcast with any of your friends who are also wondering why their electric rates are so high.