
Power bills in California have jumped nearly 50% in four years. Democrats think they have solutions
California lawmakers advanced several reform measures this week to rein in utility profits, slash electricity bills and potentially save consumers billions of dollars. The legislation is part of Democrats’ agenda to tackle the sky-high costs of living. California ratepayers pay some of the highest power bills in the country. Utilities say they need to increase rates to pay for wildfire mitigation projects, among other things. The legislation would limit utilities’ ability to collect a return for shareholders and provide credits to customers during summer months, among other things. Republicans, utilities and the California Chamber of Commerce said it would only increase costs.