A bill aimed at cutting California electricity rates by 30 percent is also seeking justice for victims of utility-caused wildfires.
The legislation would direct the Public Utilities Commission to recommend ways to reduce rates by 2028. It would also require the commission to assess how much wildfire victims from before 2019 are still owed and recommend ways for utilities to pay them.
The bill’s author is Assemblyman James Gallagher of Chico.
“Those who’ve been devastated the most by wildfires haven’t been compensated and are paying the most for their utility bills. That’s something that finally needs to get remedied.”
Gallagher says PG&E made two-point-four billion dollars last year. He says the company can afford to meet its obligations to victims.
The bill is making its way through the Assembly. Supporters include the California Farm Bureau, San Diego Gas and Electric, and survivors of the 2018 Camp Fire.