PG&E wants to raise rates by 22-percent to help pay for wildfire safety improvements. The company’s CEO Sumeet Singh made the arguments to the California Public Utilities Commission this week, citing inflation and the cost of projects to improve safety. One such project would be placing 21-hundred miles of power lines underground to reduce the threat of a wildfire being triggered by those lines in high-risk areas. PG&E says the 22-percent rate hike accounts not just for inflation, but also the high price of wholesale natural gas. Customer advocates say PG&E’s plan could amount to $50 dollars more per month for the average bill. The California Public Utilities Commission would need to approve a hike before it goes into effect. CPUC countered PG&E’s plan with a proposal that would only include a 12-percent increase. A decision could be made at the next meeting on November 2nd.
PG&E Seeking to Raise Rates for Safety Projects
