Upstate, California – The bill that would have set an end date for the new flat fees PG&E customers will see on their energy bills is dead in the water.
The Assembly Bill 1999 was killed in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Thursday. The measure was a direct response to the California Public Utility Commissions (CPUC)’s controversial flat-fee proposal, which would impose a flat fee of $24 for most electricity bills. Regulators say it would allow companies like PG&E to cut a few cents per kilowatt hour, making electricity cheaper.
However, critics fear it will only have a beneficial effect on taxpayers who use more energy, creating a burden on those who typically use less energy.
AB 1999 would have treated the fee as a pilot program, making it expire in 2028. It would also have required energy regulators to provide frequent updates to lawmakers on whether the fee is meeting its intended goal.
“The really disappointing thing is that we just said no additional legislative scrutiny,” said Gene Engstrom, CALPIRG state director. “What we really need to do is just monitor it now that the bill is up for formal legislative scrutiny, but I think organizations like ours will be monitoring it. And I think legislators should be monitoring it. We really need to pay attention to the impact.”
In a statement to KRCR, Assemblywoman Buffy Weeks (D-Piedmont) said:
PG&E and other utility companies should not benefit from any flat fee changes. We will continue to hold the CPUC accountable to ensure that its plan does not impose unnecessary costs on taxpayers. The House Speaker and I support efforts to lower energy bills for low-income residents — and we must rein in high rates for all Californians.
(tags for translation)CPUC
