Posted by Jack
SAC-Bee: California Gov. Gavin Newsom is not the only one fed up with PG&E’s latest round of power shutoffs.
Republicans representing the area affected by last year’s deadly Camp Fire are calling on the utility to spend more money to harden its grid and buy better equipment.
State Sen. Jim Nielsen, R-Tehama, and Assemblyman James Gallagher, R-Yuba City, argue that PG&E is spending $2.4 billion a year to comply with Senate Bill 100 — money they feel could be better used to prevent future wildfires and 10 years of continued power shutoffs. They also think the company is already well on track to meet its obligations, given 85 percent of its electricity comes from renewable and greenhouse gas-free sources.
“Why are we continuing to force them to pay billions of dollars of ratepayer funds buying more renewables when we could take those dollars to make their infrastructure safer for all of us who are experiencing this?” Gallagher said. “This is smarter climate policy.”