Another provision authorizes the extension of a small monthly fee that ratepayers have been paying since after the 2001 energy crisis. That fee is supposed to expire in 2020 but the law extended it for another 15 years.
California’s wildfire allegedly violate customer’s rights
On Friday, the two PG&E customers argued in their lawsuit that AB 1054 violates the rights of customers because it makes it easier for utility companies to increase rates to cover costs related to wildfires caused by their equipment.
Michael Aguirre, the lawyer representing the PG&E customers in the case, commented, “They have found a way to finance how to pay for the fires, not how to stop the fires.”
Additionally, Aguirre alleged that the state’s decision to create a fund to pay for damages due to utility-caused wildfires using the money from a fee added on ratepayers’ utility bills is an unlawful gift of public money to utility companies owned by private investors.
