California Democrats Seek to Repeal State’s New Income-Based Utility Billing Program

A group of Democratic legislators in California submitted legislation Jan. 30 to repeal the state’s new income-based utility fees system that could cost most residents as much as $830 more each year. California became the first in the nation to pass such a program in 2022 in an effort to lower bills for low-income residents. The new law requires the state’s utilities to develop an income-based rate system and present it to the California Public Utilities Commission for approval by July. Most authors of the repeal—Assembly Bill (AB) 1999—approved the legislation to create the program, but have now had second thoughts....