Schiavo opposes Edison rate hike proposal

Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, D-Chatsworth, signed onto a letter to the California Public Utilities Commission opposing the commission’s vote approving Southern California Edison’s latest rate hike proposal.  

The approved increase forces ratepayers to cover the utility’s liability for the devastating 2017 Thomas Fire, raising concerns about additional costs being passed onto consumers for the 2018 Woolsey Fire and beyond, according to a news release from Schiavo’s office.  

“It is unconscionable to make ratepayers — who have already suffered through wildfires, power outages and displacement — shoulder the financial burden of corporate mismanagement,” Schiavo said in the release. “Southern California Edison reported a net income of over half a billion dollars last quarter, and yet still they want to raise rates on hard-working families and seniors who can’t afford another hit to their pocketbooks. My constituents have made it clear: These rate hikes are making it harder to afford everyday essentials, and we must stand up against this unfair cost shift.” 

With another proposed rate hike from SCE on the horizon to cover its $5.4 billion liability from the Woolsey Fire, legislators are calling on the CPUC to adopt a more equitable approach to determining responsibility for wildfire costs, the release said. Six other legislators also signed the letter.  

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