Consumer Watchdog, Every Fire Survivor's Network Call on CPUC Commissioner Baker to Withdraw Approval of $456 Million PG&E Rate Hike Amid $2 Billion in Spending

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumer Watchdog and Every Fire Survivor Network called on California Public Utilities Commissioner Matthew Baker to withdraw his proposed approval of $456 million in interim rate recovery for Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), arguing that the utility should not receive more money from customers while threatening to defer $2 billion in infrastructure investments. The vote is scheduled for next Thursday, November 19.

In a joint letter to Baker, the groups urged the commissioner to return the proposed decision to the Administrative Law Judge for reconsideration before the Commission votes.

"PG&E is moving the goalposts on infrastructure spending while expecting regulators to hand over hundreds of millions more in ratepayer money," said Alexandra Nagy, organizing director of Consumer Watchdog. "Commissioner Baker should pull the plug on this rate hike until PG&E can prove the money is needed and explain why it is threatening to delay service to 25,000 customers."

Baker's proposed decision was issued September 23, three weeks after PG&E announced its spending cuts, yet it fails to reconcile those reductions with the utility's request for more money.

On October 23, the CPUC's Public Advocates Office filed a motion warning that PG&E's reduced capital spending renders its proposed 2027 revenue requirement overstated and inconsistent with the evidentiary record.

The groups also raised concerns that PG&E's threatened service delays could violate its legal duty to serve customers. Under existing CPUC decisions, the utility must prioritize financing necessary service connections, and its holding company may be required to provide capital to meet those obligations.

"PG&E wants $456 million more from customers while threatening to cut $2 billion in infrastructure investments. Before asking Californians for another dollar, PG&E needs to explain what it will deliver with the money," said Joy Chen, executive director of Every Fire Survivor's Network. "The CPUC's job is to demand that proof and hold PG&E to its duty to serve."

The groups also criticized the CPUC's growing practice of approving interim rate increases before fully examining utilities' costs or determining whether they are reasonable.

"Interim rate increases are becoming a way for utilities to collect hundreds of millions of dollars before proving they need the money," said Nagy. "This creates an expectation on Wall Street that utilities can milk California ratepayers without first justifying their costs. PG&E's shifting spending plans show exactly why this practice needs to end."

PG&E plans to spend another $11.4 billion on infrastructure in 2027 but has not demonstrated why it must defer $2 billion in additional projects or whether its holding company could provide the necessary financing.

Consumer Watchdog and Every Fire Survivor Network urged Baker to withdraw the proposed decision and require further examination of PG&E's revised spending plans, its duty to serve, and whether any interim rate increase is justified. 

SOURCE Consumer Watchdog