Senator Becker Condemns PG&E for Delaying Investments Across the State

MENLO PARK, CA — Today Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) condemned Pacific Gas and Electric Company for unilaterally delaying $2 billion of infrastructure and clean energy investments across California, including in Senate District 13, that were approved by the Public Utilities Commission.

The deferral threatens local projects to connect new homes and businesses to the grid, impedes the development of clean energy projects that are ready for service and halts critical public works projects that have been in development for nearly a decade. In San Mateo County the postponement of a $150 million infrastructure improvement project–that relied on PG&E undergrounding power lines–could cost the state millions of dollars in fees, increased construction costs and decreased economic activity. The delay also directly impacts our state’s climate goals and will cause the state and locals to miss out on millions in tax credits that help lower the cost of energy. In public statements PG&E has claimed the deferral is due to the high borrowing costs associated with its wildfire liability.

Protecting wildfire victims and ratepayers from the costs associated with wildfires is urgent and should not be minimized, but it should also not be used as an excuse for a regulated utility to make unilateral decisions to stop fulfilling the basic responsibilities of a utility to connect new customers and honor its deadlines for connecting new clean energy to the grid. The excuse makes no sense for projects that connect solar arrays to the grid because project developers typically pay for that work, so it doesn’t require PG&E to borrow money to complete this work.  

“PG&E owes Californians an explanation, not excuses,” said Senator Becker. “I want to see the evidence that its credit ratings and borrowing costs have changed enough to justify delaying $2 billion in investments. PG&E should be focused on safely operating the grid, connecting new customers, meeting its legal obligations and fulfilling its commitments.”

Senator Becker emphasized that utilities should carefully evaluate spending and identify opportunities to reduce costs for ratepayers. However, those decisions must prioritize affordability, reliability, and the needs of customers.

“I welcome efforts to rein in unnecessary utility spending, but there's a fundamental difference between cutting waste and reneging on commitments.” Becker added.