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I'm genuinely confused over just how heavily regulated PG&E really is. Some people are saying it's basically an unregulated monopoly that does whatever it want

I'm genuinely confused over just how heavily regulated PG&E really is. Some people are saying it's basically an unregulated monopoly that does whatever it wants. That in the course of trying to make lots of money they screwed over the state. Other people are saying it's a heavily regulated utility. The state of California is saying how much it can make and what it can do with the money it makes. They point to how much it's invested in solar power. They'd also claim the state didn't mandate work on power infrastructure maintenance - indeed it made it harder to cut back trees. It made it harder for residence to clear trees but still allowed them to build amidst a large amount of fuel. That the state basically used PG&E as a cut out for it's own ends - i.e. we're not raising taxes we're just allowing PG&E to raise rates and then mandating what PG&E has to build out. One of those two stories has to be wrong, correct?

generalpass 7y ago
If PG&E were not heavily regulated, why wouldn't they have even just one private competitor? I mean, how hard of a sell is it: knock on door and say, "We're not PG&E." I'm pretty sure 60% of prospects would sign up right away. I've lived 30+ years in California and everybody hates PG&E. I've never talked to someone who had a different opinion.
- inferiorhuman 7y ago
  If PG&E were not heavily regulated, why wouldn't they have even just one private competitor? I mean, how hard of a sell is it: knock on door and say, "We're not PG&E." I'm pretty sure 60% of prospects would sign up right away. I've lived 30+ years in California and everybody hates PG&E. I've never talked to someone who had a different opinion. Why? Because PG&E has fought long and hard to keep their monopoly. They've gone so far as to keep the Ayatollah of the Assembly on their payroll. Marin got a very neutered version of Marin Clean Energy as a result of PG&E and San Francisco still hasn't been able to sneak public power legislation past PG&E.
  - generalpass 7y ago
    It seems you may be misreading my comment or I am misreading yours. It is the regulation that PG&E is paying for. That is how they keep the competition out.

generalpass 7y ago

If PG&E were not heavily regulated, why wouldn't they have even just one private competitor? I mean, how hard of a sell is it: knock on door and say, "We're not PG&E." I'm pretty sure 60% of prospects would sign up right away. I've lived 30+ years in California and everybody hates PG&E. I've never talked to someone who had a different opinion.

inferiorhuman 7y ago
If PG&E were not heavily regulated, why wouldn't they have even just one private competitor? I mean, how hard of a sell is it: knock on door and say, "We're not PG&E." I'm pretty sure 60% of prospects would sign up right away. I've lived 30+ years in California and everybody hates PG&E. I've never talked to someone who had a different opinion. Why? Because PG&E has fought long and hard to keep their monopoly. They've gone so far as to keep the Ayatollah of the Assembly on their payroll. Marin got a very neutered version of Marin Clean Energy as a result of PG&E and San Francisco still hasn't been able to sneak public power legislation past PG&E.
- generalpass 7y ago
  It seems you may be misreading my comment or I am misreading yours. It is the regulation that PG&E is paying for. That is how they keep the competition out.