Energy Rate Watch

Gas and electric energy rates are skyrocketing in California, harming residents, business, as well as farming and food production operations.

California’s already expensive energy rates are continuing to rise with massive new rate increases proposed by the State’s investor-owned utilities.

Surging electricity and natural gas prices for the state’s major investor-owned utilities have already reached levels that are more than double the national average and will soon reach levels that are three to four times higher that the rest of the country. Rates are also rising far faster than inflation driven by clean energy and electrification mandates as well as wildfire mitigation. These out-of-control energy cost impacts are straining the budgets of vulnerable, low-income households and fixed-income seniors, while causing further increases to the costs of everything from food, to fuel, to many other consumer goods and services.

Consider the following:

  • Between 2010 and 2021, SDG&E’s rates increased 78%, PG&E’s rates increased 47%, and SCE’s rates increased 42%.
  • PG&E is proposing to increase rates by more than 36% in 2023 alone with additional double digit increases looming in 2024, 2025, and 2026.
  • Southern California Edison (SCE) is slated to increase rates by more than 6% on March 1, 2023 with additional increases slated for later this year.
  • SoCalGas Company is proposing to raise rates 40% on top of devastating natural gas price spikes that recently cost ratepayers billions of dollars during December and January.
  • CPUC staff has indicated that wildfire mitigation costs from 2021 to 2030 will cost PG&E $23.7 billion, SCE $17.2 billion, and SDG&E $3.9 billion.
  • Major distribution system upgrades will also be widely needed to manage new load from electrification of cars, homes, and businesses.
  • The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) has estimated that the state will need more than $30 billion in new transmission capacity to achieve renewable energy targets by 2040. Every dollar added to transmission rate base costs ratepayers in excess of $3.50 over the life of the transmission asset.
  • Taking into account all these increased costs, CPUC staff estimates that by 2030 utility rates will outpace inflation by 70% for SDG&E, 40% for PG&E, and 20% for SCE.

Bottom line: California is facing a looming crisis if policymakers want residents to swap gasoline-fueled cars and natural gas appliances for electric models.

“Mandating electrification when you’re charging people 30 or 40 cents a kilowatt-hour is going to be immensely expensive.”

Severin Borenstein, UC Berkley Haas School of Business Energy Institute

Visit the pages below for more on our efforts to combat skyrocketing rates.

Tipping Point

California’s electricity rates are already double the national average, and rising five times faster than the rest of the country. Utility investments to reduce the risk of wildfires are just one reason California’s already sky high electricity rates will go even higher.

Sparking Destruction

AECA remains strongly concerned with the state's response to recent catastrophic wildfires. PG&E's continued propensity for neglecting system maintenance resulting in record-setting wildfires, and leaving ratepayers to pay for their disastrous missteps is particularly concerning.