CA may need another rebellion against its utility companies

Feed up for decades of powerful railway lines that ruined the State Council, which had to regulate them, the voters of California created the modern commission of utilities in 1911. Now, about 114 years later, the Californians have reached their limit with cozy crumbling between Committee and Private Communal Services It needs to be controlled.

This voter initiative in the early 20th century turns the committee a major defender of California’s families and business against rough or dangerous electric and gas utilities. The California statutes are fulfilled with the requirements that the utility committee guarantees that any cost to provide electricity and gas to customers is necessary, as well as “fair and reasonable” price.

As President Franklin D. Roosevelt said it during a 1932 Campaign Stopping in OregonState commissions for utilities have a “delegated body and obligation to act as a public agent; this is not just an arbitrator, as between people and public utilities, but is designed to see that public utilities do two things: first, give an adequate service;

“It means,” he continued, “When this obligation is exercised properly, positive and active protection of people against private greed!”

Today, the Californians are again faced with what FDR called “a systematic, fine, deliberate and unprincipled campaign for misinformation, propaganda,… lies and lies” – purchased and paid by private utilities, he noted.

More than a century later, the Commission for Utilities in California has lost its path. In the last 10 years every time private utility companies in California wanted more than our money, State -appointed commissioners have agreed.

Between 2019 and 2023 the average rates for housing electricity increased 47%Through the inflation, the office of the legislative analyzer was noted in a January report. Only last year the Commission approved six Increases for PG & EAs he was throwing himself record profitsS

The California Committee on Utilities neglects its main responsibility. Companies claim that they know best what money and programs are needed to provide gas and electrical service to their customers. They ask us to trust them to spend reasonably money on customers without suffocating their business with regulatory bureaucrats standing over their shoulders, with the second second dollar spent. CPUC is increasingly obliged, allowing utility services to Choose for yourself what they will spend money on or decide How much will they charge For an electric and gas service – Potential for profit from gold Without sticking to one: Safe and reliable service at a reasonable price.

Again and over, the utilities ask and the commission gives them whatever it wants. Over the last three years, CPUC has created a pernicious practice of “intermediate” increases of the rates, providing more billions of dollars without even having to list or provide details of the specific costs they have submitted for payment.

These intermediate solutions supply the main role of CPUC in order to dug into the offers of utility costs, understand what we really have to pay for safe service and reject expensive wins and trinkets for which the Californians should not be on the hook.

The Commission also ignores independent audits From the cost of wild fire of utilities. In 2021, the large three utilities in California either could not report or divert $ 240 million, $ 700 million And $ 1.5 billion in money, CPUC has already allowed companies to collect for programs they offer, plan and win. The audits called on commissioners to retain money for additional fire prevention projects While utilities cannot explain What they spent the initial funding for.

Read more: Californians pay billions for efforts to prevent fire for energy companies. Are they profitable?

That didn’t happen. Both PG & E and Southern California Edison received the huge majority of what they requested in the new funding, without any real or requirement that they explain how they spent the previous public dollar tranche.

So it’s not surprising that the California families now face Second highest percentage of utility In the country and the California enterprises, they have the dubious award for paying the highest business rates in the country.

It is surprising why we have so long tolerated the abdication of the committee for its central obligation: to protect us, while making sure that we are making necessary and reasonable investments in order to preserve the lights. When will we ask our selected employees to stop the train to the SOC and to get the State Committee on Utilities to do their job?