Utilities Want CA Customers To Pay Millions For Wildfire Costs

CALIFORNIA -- San Diego Gas & Electric, with the support of Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison, is still continuing its quest to have customers pay $379 million to cover the damages from the 2007 wildfires. The effort comes as California recovers from its worst fire season on record and as crews continue to battle the Thomas Fire, the largest fire ever to burn in the state.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that the utility filed an application with the California Public Utilities Commission asking it to reconsider its ruling that San Diego Gas & Electric cannot charge customers for the costs related to the deadly wildfires.

In November, the commission found that San Diego Gas & Electric did not reasonably operate its facilities that were linked to the Witch, Guejito and Rice wildfires, which killed two people, burned nearly 200,000 acres and destroyed more than 1,100 homes.

Southern California Edison told the newspaper that it supports the rehearing because "accountability is a critical element in any regulatory environment, but so is fairness."

"If California courts continue to hold utilities accountable for wildfire damage without any showing of misconduct, then utilities should not solely absorb the cost," the company told the Union-Tribune.

The effort comes as state lawmakers introduced a bill they said will prohibit electric companies from pushing costs from major disasters, such as wildfires, onto ratepayers. Authors of the bill said they were prompted to write the proposed law after companies tried to recover costs in the past.

Last year, more than 21,000 homes were destroyed and 44 people were killed in October during the Northern California wildfires. More than a month later, Southern California saw several wildfires destroy thousands of other homes. Two people, including a CalFire engineer, died in the Thomas Fire.

--Photo courtesy of Ventura County Fire Department

Also See:

CA Needs Wildfire Insurance Law: Commissioner

Bill Would Bar Utility Companies From Raising Rates For Fire Cost