Newsom Reportedly Devising Plan To Saddle Ratepayers With Wildfire Cleanup Fees

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom is reportedly considering a plan to charge ratepayers and utilities additional fees to funnel another $18 billion to the state’s fire cleanup fund, according to Bloomberg News.

The legislation Newsom is reportedly weighing would charge ratepayers a monthly fee, while utility companies benefitting from the funds — Sempra, PG&E and Edison International — would contribute the other half of the money, according to sources familiar with the proposal who spoke with Bloomberg News. The addition of a new monthly fee would be more bad news for California ratepayers, who are already on the hook for some of the highestutility costs in the U.S.

“We continue to work with the Legislature on policy that will stabilize California’s Wildfire Fund to support the recovery of wildfire survivors and to protect California utility consumers — even as wildfires become bigger and more destructive due to climate change,” a spokesperson for Newsom said in a statement to the 🏢Daily Caller News Foundation.

Californians currently pay about 140% more for electricity compared to the national average, according