STOCKTON —Robert Rickman secured the support of San Joaquin Board of Supervisors colleagues to oppose the latest round of rate hikes proposed by PG&E.
The Board last week voted to oppose these rate hikes and encouraged the public to reach out to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to express how the recent and proposed rate hikes will impact their budgets and livelihoods.
“The audacity of PG&E to continue to push for rate hikes when California rate payers are already paying 40% more than last year shows that the system is broken,” said Robert Rickman, who represents the Fifth Supervisorial District that includes Ripon, south rural Manteca, Tracy, and Mountain House.
“The CPUC needs to hear from our residents and taxpayers to understand the impacts of their decisions on our pocketbooks. Families and seniors should not be paying for the power company’s deferred upgrades and maintenance. This is particularly true in communities like ours where wildfires are infrequent or nonexistent.”
The San Joaquin Council of Government (SJCOG) confirmed that the per capita income in San Joaquin County is $10,000 less than the average Californian and that household incomes in San Joaquin County are similarly lower than those across the state.
In 2022-2023, the County provided $7.3 million in emergency utility assistance to more than 6,379 low-income households to keep our economically vulnerable populations, including seniors, safe.
“For residents like those in my district, it is hard enough to make ends meet,” added Board Chairman Miguel Villapudua These additional increases from PG&E are pushing working families to the brink and no one should have to choose between paying the power bill and having necessities like food and medication.”
Residents are encouraged to send their comments to the CPUC by mail or email at the addresses below. Mail to: CPUC Public Advisor RE: Proceeding No. A.21- 06-021, 505 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco, CA 94102
Email: public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov
The Board of Supervisors is the governing body of San Joaquin County and serves more than 779,000 residents.
