PG and E bills are going to be even higher, starting in January, or just in time for one of the coldest months of the year. The California Public Utilities Commission has approved a 12-point-8 percent increase. Utility spokesman Paul Moreno says that equates to another 32 dollars more a month for the average residential customer…

click to listen to Paul Moreno

But Moreno says bills will only go up another four-fifty a month in 2025 and actually drop eight dollars in 2026. The main reason for the rate hike was to help fund more work for PG and E’s powerline undergrounding program in high wildfire-risk areas, like Nevada County. But it will only cover 12-hundred-30 miles over three years, instead of 21-hundred over four years. That includes 110 miles in Nevada County. The increase will also allow for 778 miles of so-called “covered conductor” in other parts of the state. Moreno says undergrounding will reduce the risk by 98-percent and also improve reliability…

click to listen to Paul Moreno

The Commission acknowledged the financial hardships of many Californians and urged low-income customers to apply for aid. But they also mentioned that inflation and supply chain issues have also led to challenges for investor-owned utility companies. Meanwhile, Nevada County’s State Senator Brian Dahle, the vice-chair of the Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities, and Communications, says the rate hike will also hurt businesses, who will pass on the increase to their customers.