SDG&E wants rate increase to cover 2007 wildfire liabilities

[ENIAC]

San Diego Gas & Electric Co. asked regulators to let it charge ratepayers for its courtroom losses related to the 2007 wildfires.

As of Sept. 30, costs from lawsuits related to the 2007 wildfires exceeded the utility's $1.1 billion insurance, according to SDG&E's financial filings. It predicted it would end up spending $456 million more than it had for insurance. In December, SDG&E inserted into a proceeding before the California Public Utilities Commission an explicit request that ratepayers cover any extra cost from liabilities.

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[DeaneG]

At least your utility hasn't blown up a whole neighborhood lately.

[DaveinOlyWA]

so they decided against brush control, the weeds caught fire, and now WE have to pay for the damages?

i dont wonder why the cost of everything has escalated. when something happens we dont accept it, we place blame. our litigious society has made lawyers rich as they go ever deeper and deeper into the fabrics of our lives looking for loopholes to cash in on our stupidity that allows their very existence

[TonyWilliams]

Don't forget that utilities in Kalifornia are guaranteed a profit.... We will pay, no matter what they do.

[kevin672]

At least your utility hasn't blown up a whole neighborhood lately.

No, but in 2007 they did manage to burn down quite a few.

I really wish the CPUC would step up and make SDG&E's shareholders pay for this instead of ratepayers. Their decision to have higher profits by doing less maintenance resulted in a lot of damage to our community, and now they're asking the community to pay for it.