.com will begin momentarily. Thank you for your
patience.
The feed. Welcome to the Public Participation Hearing.
Where we would take public input on San Diego Gas and
Electric Companies General Rate Case Application on
this day Monday, March 6, 2023.
Thank you, Your Honor. Thank you Operator. Can the
court reporters please confirm they are ready to begin?
Ready Your Honor, I'm here it's Andrea. Thank you.
We will now be on the record. The Commission will come
to order. It is Monday, March 6, 2023. The time is
6:04pm, and this is the Remote Public Participation
Hearing for San Diego Gas and Electric Company or SDG
&E General Rate Case Application (A.) 22-05-016. For
administrative efficiency, this application is consolidated
with Southern California Gas Company's application
(A.) 22-05-015. Please note that the audio and visual feed
of this public hearing is being recorded and is accessible
on the CPUC website. If you do not wish to be recorded,
please disconnect now. My name is Manisha Lakhanpal
and I am the assigned Administrative Law Judge on
this proceeding. We're joined by the Honorable Darcie
Houck who is assigned Commissioner and Sasha Goldberg
the Advisor to Commissioner John Reynolds. I would
like to recognize that nearly 500 public comments have
been submitted in this docket. And the Commission is
actively reviewing each comment, as it is received.
The basic purpose of today's hearing is to hear directly
from SDG&E's ratepayers and members of the public
about this application. The Commissioner and I will
pay close attention to the opinions expressed during
today's public hearing. Commissioner Houck, would you
like to make any opening remarks?
Yes thank you, Judge Lakhanpal. Um I just um again,
would like to welcome everyone here this evening. I
know there was a number of folks on the line earlier
today. A lot of people would like to provide their
comments which um is, as Judge Lakhanpal said. Very
important we're paying close attention to what we're
hearing this evening. As well as the written comments
were receiving um, through the docket card. Um we're
here to consider Southern California Gas Company and
SoCalGas in San Diego. Or SoCalGas and San
Diego Gas and Electric Company are SDG&Es application
seeking approval. To update their gas revenue requirement
in base rates effective on January 1, 2024. We've received
input from many parties as Judge Lakhanpal noted to
the proceedings so far. And today we have the opportunity
to hear directly from the people most impacted by this
proceeding. Which is all of you that have taken your
time out of um, came out today to join us here this
evening. And again, I know we, we have a lot of people
on the line that would like to provide comments. So
I'm going to minimize my comments that we can leave
as much time as possible for speakers. But just want
to thank our court reporters, our IT Staff and the parties
for joining us here this evening. And will return um,
to turn the proceedings back over to you, Judge Lakhanpal.
Thank
you Commissioner Houck.
If you have customer specific questions today, such
as questions about your bills or service. During the
hours of today's Public Participation Hearing, SDG&E
has made available Jamie York. Their Customer Service
Manager to answer and respond to your billing issues.
You can reach Jamie at 858-613-3178 throughout the hearing,
and for an hour after. If you are participating today
and would like to provide public comments. You may
do so by calling 800-857-1917, entering passcode 1767567.
Followed by a # and pressing *1 on your
phone. This will alert the operator who will begin
to queue public speakers. Please unmute your phone and
provide your name. If you're a public official, please
notify the operator of your title and position, in
addition to your name. Please refer to the slide on
the screen. We will not be answering any questions
about the application at today's hearing. I want to
provide a brief background on the California Public
Utilities Commission. The Public Utilities Commission
is a state agency that decides how much money SDG&E may
earn. And the rates that will be included on your bill
for electric and gas service. The Commission is comprised
of 5 Commissioners who are appointed by the Governor
and confirmed by California State Senate. As the presiding
Judge of this case, I oversee its day-to-day operations.
My primary responsibility is to review testimony from
parties, conduct evidential hearings and review all
of all the evidence presented. I will then write a
proposed decision for the Commissioners to consider.
The Commissioners can either vote to approve the draft
proposed decision or the Commissioners can vote to
adopt an alternate, alternate decision. The current
schedule of this proceeding indicates that the Commission
will vote on the decision in the 2nd Quarter of
2024. I will now briefly describe what a General Rate
Case proceeding is and provide a short summary of the
application before us.
Every 4 years, SDG&E and is required to file a general
rate case application with the CPUC to set annual revenues.
Annual revenues are the total amount of money the
utility is allowed to collect through rates in a given
year. Revenues requested in this application, pay for
the costs of owning and operating electric distribution,
and generation facilities, and maintaining gas infrastructure.
This application does not include the cost to purchase
natural gas and electricity for SDG&E customers.
And does not determine how revenues are assigned to
customer groups. Those are evaluated and authorized
in separate proceedings.
On May 16, 2022, SDG&E filed a 2024 General Rate Case Application.
The application has updated in October 2022, requests
authority to increase revenues for 2024-2027.
SDG&E is requesting to recover $2.996 billion in revenues in 2024. Which
is an increase of $449 million over the 2023 expected revenue.
SDG&E is requesting to recover an additional $315 million
2025, $306 million in 2026 and $279 million in 2027. An accumulative
requested revenue increase is $3.6 billion or uh, it turns out to be $3.9 billion
in total revenue requirement in 2027. We're here today to receive comments from the
public on SDG&Es request to increase rates. And
revenue for costs related to their electric gas and
services. A court reporter will transcribe everything
that is said today. If you speak, I ask that you speak
slowly and clearly so that the reporter can capture
everything that is said. At the beginning of your comments,
please spell your first and last name and provide your
location.
The written transcript of today's hearing will be posted
publicly on the docket card for this proceeding.
In addition to submitting oral comments today, written
comments on SDG&Es application may be submitted
on the docket card for this proceeding. By going to
apps.cpuc.ca
.gov/c/A2205016.
We will now hear from some of the parties in this proceeding,
beginning with the representative of SDG&E, Utility
Consumers Action Network or UCAN, The Utility Reform
Network or TURN, Protect our Communities Foundation
or PCF, Mussey Grade Alliance, Grade Road Alliance or
MGRA and the Public Advocate's Office or Cal Advocates.
Each speaker will have a time limit of 2 minutes.
With that Jamie York on behalf of SDG&E,
please proceed.
Good evening. My name is Jamie York and I'm the Director
of the General Rate Case for San Diego Gas and Electric.
We are here today to listen and receive input about
our rate proposal for 2024-2027. As SDG&E
looks ahead to what it will take to create a clean
energy future and protect against climate threats.
Our general rate case is focused on maintaining a safe,
reliable and resilient grid. But before I comment on
our general rate case, I want to acknowledge it is
a very difficult time for us to discuss this request.
Because many of our customers are facing high bills
due to unprecedented natural gas commodity prices over
the past few months. Utilities like SDG&E buy natural
gas from producers around the country. We pay market
rates for that gas and pass those costs on to customers
with no profit. Fortunately, market prices for natural
gas have dropped for the 2nd month in a row. And
future bills are expected to be more in line with what
customers experienced last year. Nonetheless, we know
that for many of our customers, they're still struggling
to pay their recent bills. To support them, SDG&E
recently announced a $16 million dollar charitable
commitment to provide relief for customers and community
assistance programs. I want to point out that the outcome
of this rate request will have no impact on customer
bills this year. The CPUC will make the final determination
after a thorough review. And any approved rate increases
will likely not go into effect until mid-2024. Now
the rate requests we're discussing today, represents
a conscious effort of hundreds of SDG&E employees.
To deliver safe, reliable and climate resilient energy
to customers over the next 4 years. Specifically
we seek to maintain a safe, reliable and resilient
grid. Develop clean fuel sources such as green hydrogen,
strengthen cybersecurity and technology infrastructure,
and accelerate replacement of aging natural gas pipelines.
We believe a rate request strikes the right balance
between making strategic investments. To benefit customers
and mitigating rate impact. California has established
aggressive greenhouse gas goals that call for massive
increases in the use of clean electricity. Our rate
request is geared towards preparing the grid for the
clean energy future that so many of us aspire towards.
Thank you again to everyone who is here today, to share
your feedback on our proposal.
Thank you. We will now hear from Edward Lopez from
UCAN.
Thank you, Honorable Commissioner and ALJ. I am Edward
Lopez, Executive Director for UCAN, the Utility Consumers
Action Network. As a long established intervener at
the Commission, we represent and advocate for the interests
of our members, the customers of SDG&E. We have
fought to lower SDG&E bills, to guard against high
energy rates that are unjust and unreasonable. And to
compel the CPUC to hold SDG&E accountable, for the
highest energy bills in the country. In this general
rate case, SDG&E has requested nearly $3 billion
in revenue requirement. An increase about $450 million
over their expected 2023 revenue requirements. This
amount is over an 18% increase. If approved a typical
SDG&E residential customer will see approximately
a bill increase of $9. And for gas customers approximately
a monthly bill increase of $9.57, as compared to expected
rates in 2023. In this proceeding, the Commission decides
whether the rate increase requested by SDG&E is
just unreasonable. Now more than ever, this just
reasonable standard must fully embrace and encapsulate
the affordability of the proposed rate hikes. Over the
last month or so, we have seen SDG&E gas bills
skyrocket, and surge, and spike. Simply put, the increase
was unjust and unreasonable. During this period, UCAN
has heard daily from its members. They have been
shocked at how much the bills have dumped. They face
incredibly difficult choices, particularly their senior
citizens on fixed income, while living paycheck to paycheck.
How do they pay energy bills? How do they pay rent
or even medical prescription? And for some unfortunately
it is even a choice of whether to heat or eat. For
San Diegans, SDG&E needs proposed rate increase comes
in the wake of this unprecedented spike in the natural
gas prices. We should note however, that there are
agencies including the, at the federal level. That are
investigating whether in fact this was unnatural, there
are answers still to come. But it is also coming on
the heels of SDG&Es investors again announcing
another year of incredibly high profits. Semper Energy
just announcing a $2.9 billion in 2022. A number up
from $2.6 billion they reported in for 2021. And SDG&E
itself, earned $915 million this past year, up
$96 million from 2021. Mr. Lopez, I would like you to
limit your comments. Um you've, we've gone past 2
minutes and I would like to reserve more time for the
public. Of course Your Honor. So I would like you to close your remarks quickly,
thank you. Of course, thank you. With its decision to
come. The Commission must ask what will be the impacts
and consequences to ratepayers of any rate increases.
UCAN members, SDG&Es customers ask that the CPUC
decision, ultimately deliver affordability and accountability.
Thank you. Thank you. We will now hear from Constance
Slider Pierre here for TURN.
Thank you. Good afternoon. My name is Constance Slider
Pierre. I'm the Organizing Director at TURN, The Utility
Reform Network. I would first like to take a moment
to thank the Administrative Law Judge, as well as Commissioner
Reynolds and Commissioner Houck for the opportunity
to say a few words to welcome members of the public.
Now to members of the public, all who have joined
here today. To provide comment and bear witness. I thank
you for taking time to join today's Public Participation
Hearing. I hope you will take advantage of the opportunity
to share your experiences and your concerns with the
Commission, regarding SDG&E gas proposal rate increases.
TURN stands strong in its belief that gas and electricity
along with food, shelter and water are necessities
in a modern society. We strongly believe that any approved
rate increase at this time is unacceptable. And would
only serve to exacerbate the long road towards financial
recovery of seniors, veterans, disabled folks and struggling
families.
Today's public hearing provides an opportunity for
Californians to represent themselves in front of the
Public Utilities Commission, and it represents the Public
Utilities Commission at its very best. In the hearing
room, we hear from the Judges and utility attorneys
and consumer attorneys locked in battle arguing over
numbers and technical issues. However today, the Judges
want to hear from you, the consumers. About how proposed
changes and rate increase, increases affect you, your
family and your community. These hearings serve as
an opportunity to ensure that the lived experiences
of community are heard and accounted for. When our public
servants deliberate and make decisions that affect
our daily lives. So, what's at stake? Well, if approved
a typical San Diego Gas and Electric customer can expect
an increase of over $26 per month or $318 annually
on their monthly gas bill by 2027.
As more affluent families migrate to all electric homes
and cars and gas rate hikes will disproportionately
impact low-income families, seniors, and disabled people,
and children. But this is not a rate increase that
will only impact low-income families. The rates have
become so high that middle-income families that do
not qualify for programs are also struggling to pay
and racking up more and more debt. Last week, Sempra the parent
company of SoCalGas and SDG&E announced record
profits of over $2.9 billion. While offering a mere $16
million for support to community based organization
and families struggling to pay. The money offered to
support struggling families represents, represents
less than a half a percent of their 2022 profit. These
record profits and the penance they are offering is
insulting and unconscionable. The time for the CPUC
to say no and stop this insanity is passed due. The
buck must stop here. Today, customers and community
members can share your unique experience and perspective
and your expertise with the decision makers. During
your testimony today, I encourage you to use your
time to reflect on your experience as an SDG&E
customer. Tell the Commission how current energy costs
affect you? What trade off you have been forced to
make? What measures you have to take to reduce costs
and conserve energy? And what additional trade off you
may be forced to make, if you are required to pay an
additional $26 per month for gas?
Finally, if you are listening and you have not already signed
up to (inaudible). I hope our statement has provided some context
and inspired you to lift your voice and be heard today. Thank you.
Thank you. Uh, we will now hear from Julia Severson for
PCS.
Thank you, Your Honor. Good evening. I'm Julia Severson
on behalf of The Protect Our Communities Foundation.
These remarks provide three points related to the context
for this proceeding. First, this GRC comes in the wake
of the 2023 cost of capital decision. In which the Commission
awarded SDG&E high profits when spending ratepayer
money on capital projects. Which provides a financial
incentive for the company to propose capital projects
like new electrical line projects. As opposed to distributed
generation projects like customer owned solar plus
battery systems, which are in ratepayers best interests.
Second, the regulatory compact between the companies
and ratepayers is supposed to work in two directions.
We are long overdue for the direction to be headed
toward ratepayer interests. We should be having a conversation
about how much rates can be reduced by, instead of assuming
that rates are supposed to keep going up. Third, this
is the Commission's first opportunity to hold SDG&E
accountable under the Commission's risk-based decision
making framework, that started back in 2014. And the
sum for utilities are also the only utilities who have
not had a GRC proceeding in 5 years. In the last
GRC, the company failed to provide answers to fundamental
questions about quote, "What spending is proposed to
mitigate risks and how has passed spending reduced
risk per dollar spent?" End quote. When the Commission
later approved the company's request for formulaic
rate increases for a total of 4 post test years.
Without analyzing specific projects and the utilities
actual spending. The Commission promised ratepayers
that this GRC would be litigated thoroughly. Spg any
ratepayers are long overdue for a close review of the
project the company wants ratepayers to pay for. Thank
you. And that concludes my remarks.
Thank you. We will now hear from Joseph Mitchell from
MGRE.
Good evening. And thank you Commissioners and Administrative
Law Judges. My name is Joseph Mitchell and I'm representing
the Mussey Grade Road Alliance, which I am Secretary
an expert witness at the CPUC. Mussey Grade
Road Alliance is a grassroots citizen group in Ramona,
California. And we've been interveners at the CPUC
since 2006. Our community was overrun by the 2003 Cedar
Fire and was surrounded by the 2007 SDG&E Fires.
And so our primary goal has been reducing utility wildfire
risk. However, not everyone in our area can afford
their utility bills. In fact, some in some of our work
we've shown. That the costs associated with high utility
bills might even affect public health and life expectancy
for the poorest and most vulnerable members of our
society. Based on the work we've done over the past
16 years, we believe that utility wildfire risk is
a problem that can be solved. And can be solved at reasonable
cost. You should know that of all the wildfire mitigations
putting lines underground is the most expensive option.
And that SDG&E has guaranteed rates of return it
gets for capital projects like under grounding. Mitigations
other than under grounding can also provide a high
degree of protection from wildfire starts. It is very
important that you let the Commission know how SDG&E
wildfires, power shutoffs, and rate increases
affect you and your community. Mussey Grade Road Alliance
has been involved in all phases of SDG&Es
rate case. And we will be presenting testimony later
this month, and will be fighting for cost effective
wildfire safety for the remainder of this rate case.
What you say tonight is important. And people who will
fight for you are listening, and can use what you say
in their arguments. So please speak freely and share
your thoughts. Thank you.
Thank you. And we have uh, Marion Peleo from Cal Advocates
next.
Thank you, good evening. Your Honor, Commissioner Houck,
and the members of the public. I am Marion Peleo, co-
counsel for Public Advocate's Office. Uh, in its
response to the Semper Utilities 2024 General Rate
Case. The Public Advocate's Office or Cal Advocates
is the independent consumer advocate at the Commission.
Cal advocates represents the interest of public utility
customers with a goal of containing. Excuse me. Of obtaining
the lowest possible rates for service. Consistent with
safe, reliable service and the state environmental
goals. We're reviewing and analyzing the Sempra Utilities
GRC requests. And we will present our findings, independent
forecasts and recommendations in written testimony
to be submitted at the end of the month. Thank you
and we look forward to hearing the public comments.
Thank you. Um, I'd like to check with the operator.
How many callers do we have in queue right now? We have
43 calls in queue currently, Your Honor. Okay great, thank you.
So we will now hear from the members of the public.
To those who wish to speak, if you have not already
done so. Please press *1 on your phone and the
operator will add you to the queue of speakers. If
you're not currently queued, at any time during the
session. You can decide to speak and the line will
remain open for you to join. Please unmute your phone
and provide the operator with your name. If you're
a public official, please notify the operator of your
title and position, in addition to your name.
Based on the number of speakers that we currently have
in queue and from our experience holding um, SoCalGas's
Public Participation Hearing at 2pm today. We're
going to limit the time for each speaker to 2 minutes.
And that is done so that we can get as many speakers,
as we can to participate today.
And a reminder to all those who are on the phone waiting
to speak. Please speak slowly and clearly so that our
court reporters may accurately transcribe your comments.
When the operator lets you know it's your turn to speak.
Please start your comments by providing your full name,
spelling your last name and your location.
We will hear you best if you speak directly into your
phone or your headset. Please avoid having your phone
on speaker when you're providing a comment. Keep your
comments brief and concise to ensure we can hear you.
And again, reminding you to please limit your comments
or stay within the 2 minute time limit. At the 2
minute time limit, you will hear a chime which will
be a reminder for you to uh, briefly close your remarks.
Operator. Are there any public officials on the line?
I don't have any public officials have declared themselves
at this time, Your Honor. Okay, then uh please call the
first person in the queue. Thank you, Your Honor. The
public comment line is now open. Our first speaker
is Scott Aston. Scott, your line is open.
Good evening. My name is Scott Ashton. I'm the CEO
of the Ocean Side Chamber of Commerce and I'm calling
this evening to express support for SDG&E. For the
important role that they play in the economic vitality
of our region. And for their commitment toward exploring
a wide variety of options for delivering a safe, reliable
and sustainable energy supply. We appreciate SDG&E's
commitment to invest in clean energy innovations.
As energy reliability is critical to the success of
our businesses. I want to touch on a few highlights.
Um first, I'll note that SDG&E's commitment to
improve technologies that allow for customer participation
and generating needed capacity through renewables and
energy storage. Next, the expansion of microgrids can
play an important role in improving reliability and
resilience in the event of grid disturbances. This
can serve to improve safety by allowing for continuity
of services to our community. As our restaurant industry
and other small businesses will be greatly impacted
by the push towards electrification. We commend SDG&E
for exploring clean glass, clean gas alternatives such
as blending hydrogen into existing pipelines. A key
element of our 5 year strategic plan at the Oceanside
Chamber. Is to actively engage with community partners
and workforce development. We applied SDG&E for
its commitment to partner with local educational institutions.
To ensure a properly trained workforce to support the
transition to clean energy. Some of these future jobs
for our residents could include installing and maintaining
electric vehicle chargers, battery storage and microgrids.
SDG&E's partnership will help ensure that our region
experiences the maximum potential economic benefits.
From the inevitable changes in the way energy is delivered
and consumed. Thank you for your time and consideration
of my comments this evening.
Thank you, Mr. Aston. Operator, please call the next
caller.
Next we have Patricia Dameron. Patricia, your line is
now open. Thank you and thank you, Your Honor. My name
is Patricia Dameron. I live in Carlsbad, California.
Actually moved here in October um, back to San Diego.
Um, my previous home was with the SCE Electric Company.
And it's been a horrible struggle realizing that my
power bill has increased from $100 a month to over
$300 a month, just by moving down here using the same
kilowatts per hour. I wanna say Valley Clean Energy
should sound familiar to Darcie. That used to be her
local utility company when she went to school in Davis.
VCE lists the sample bill for $46. That bill in San
Diego would easily be $200 for electric only, and this
is only for electric. Approving this while the utility
companies continue, this utility company, I'm sorry.
Continues to take home record income. Is no different,
than companies illegally charging $100 a bottle for
hand sanitizer in March of 2020. They know we have no
choice and instead of being responsible with their
funds. They continue to avoid allocating the right
money as appropriate. How were those record profits
and raises though? Really must be nice. I'm facing
$300 bills with a home that's constantly in the 50's.
I use less than the average kW per kilowatt per hour
per household. I cannot afford to live without shaking
in the cold. This is insane. We've almost dangerously
heated our home with propane tanks and to find out
how dangerous that was was just last minute. Who else
is really doing that and doesn't know? Who else is gonna
be heating their houses with propane? Because it's cheaper
and it's a quick solution from Home Depot. And they
don't have the Home Depot clerk to let them know that
that could kill them. And if they don't find out and
they die, who's responsible? Is it them for not knowing
or is it them trying to live not shaking in the cold?
So I can't afford this, and I really am curious.
That's all, thank you.
Thank you, Miss Dameron. Operator, please call the next
speaker.
Next we have Carlos Riviera. Carlos, your line is open.
Hello, can you hear me? Yes, we can hear you. Give
me a second, I'm gonna get off speakerphone.
Okay, I'm gonna talk very quickly because I've got
a lot to stay here. Um, I just want to say real
quick that for those who are having financial difficulty
paying their bills. There are 2 resources I'm referring
to SoCal, cause SoCalGas, I'm a customer of them. that you should look
into (inaudible) mention this briefly. Uh, it's a South
Cal Gas Cares program which offers a 20% discount. And
then there's the Past Due Bill Forgiveness Program.
Uh for the senior citizens and customers who are having
difficult during these times. I highly encourage you
to go visit the South Cal Gas, uh website look
for that information? Um, I want to express that I am
not in favor of the increases that South Cal is asking
for. Uh, specifically their justification that they've
listed on the email I received is quite vague and incomplete.
And as a customer, I demand full disclosure and demand
that the Commission and the Judge. Request that South
Cal Gas provides specific detailed information regarding
the how, what, where and how the additional revenue
will be spent. In addition, I asked justification from
the executives of SoCalGas. What exactly is the value
added they offer to the customers that justifies the
salary that they made? In 2021, Jimmy Chou, the Chief
Operating Officer had total compensation of $1.84 million.
Of that $63,000 was awarded as a bonus. $74,000 was awarded as
stock. Scott Durie, the Chief Executive Officer had total,
total compensation of $2.9 million. Of that $878,000
was received as a bonus, $1.25 million was awarded as stock.
I could go on but it's too lengthy to discuss all the
other salary compensation that the executive board
made. In either way and either way. Excuse me, what
I'm getting at. Is this needs to be looked into. Lastly
in closing, I just want to say that it's important
to note. That those in support of the rate increases
our financial beneficiaries of SoCalGas. That
being the unions and nonprofit organizations who receive
funding from SoCalGas, not the actual customers
who will be forced to pay the increase. With that in
mind, I urge the Judge and Commission. To hold additional
Public Hearing Meetings as a limited time offer today
and on March 15th is insufficient. To fully allow the
public to speak. Thank you for your time. Thank you
Mr. Rivera. Operator, please call the next speaker.
Next we have Christine Soderlund. Christine, your line
is now open. Thank you. My name is Christine Soderlund,
that's S. O. D. E. R. L. U. N. D, and I
live in Los Angeles. Thank you, Your Honor, Commissioners
and interested parties. I appreciate the opportunity
to share my SoCalGas company rate increase proposal
comments. As I was at the end of the queue during the
hearing today at 2pm. I oppose the rate increases
until SoCalGas and Sempra provide a public accounting
of every penny derived from previous rate hikes. During
the gas blowout of 2015, SoCalGas and its parent Sempra.
Were exposed for negligence and admonished for failure
to meet minimum maintenance requirements. For the gas
storage facilities at Aliso Canyon in Porter Ranch,
California. For this reason, the company was already
fined $1.8 billion. Sempra and SoCalGas request rate heights
as if these actions had no significant impact on the
public. These organizations cite the same tired excuses.
They need to maintain the gas pipeline infrastructure,
there are cybersecurity concerns. Politics in California
are too challenging. While there was Winter weather
elsewhere, transportation costs increase, and so on and
so on. Any impartial individual would agree that the
gas bills have been shocking. On January 6, The
Los Angeles Times reported 146% to 300% increases in
our bills. With some individuals suffering even higher
rates than that. But these increases and all the other
previously increased rates are not enough. They have
the audacity to ask for more. My elderly neighbors
and family members are suffering. They can't heat their
homes properly. And now because of corporate greed
and the gross mismanagement of the resources entrusted
to them. The SoCalGas company and Sempra company
execs continue to enjoy record profits. It's time for
tough conversations. We need you to send a simple message
of no to SoCalGas and Sempra, no more increases. Tell
them to figure out how to better manage the outwards,
the outrageous increases already levied. And the record
profits already received. Were deeply concerned about
our residents and the devastating effects of these
hikes to our businesses. Just like in 2015, these companies
actions are reckless and dangerous. Thank you.
Thank you, Miss Soderlund. Operator, please call the next
speaker.
Next we have Steve Welles. Steve Welles, your line is
now open.
Thank you. My name is Steve Welles, W. E. L. L. E.
S, in San Diego. And uh,
this is for the 5 PUC Commissioners. They should
all be there listening to all 22 million of us ratepayers.
Not just the 200 of us that manage to call in today.
They should listen to all 22 million of us SDG&E
and Sempra Gas ratepayers. You work for us at least
for now. Uh, hopefully the uh.
There were about 8 sounded like paid shells from
SDG&E, um that were on this line. And I assumed this
line was just for uh,
the, the actual regular users, regular ratepayers.
But uh, those 8 out of the 200 of us who are
calling in. Like another two people said they must have
been paid and have a financial interest. Remember
Commissioners, all 5 of you who should be there
today, you work for us at least for now. And uh, $5 billion
increase for SDG&E and Sempra is unacceptable. None
of us, none of us 22 million California ratepayers
agree with that. Just a few paid shells that work for
SDG&E or the gas company.
If you believe that, uh any of those shells, I have
a bridge for sale in uh in, in Brooklyn. Vote no
increase at all, give us a refund. You work for us,
for 22 million of us California ratepayers. The highest
rate in the United States don't deserve any increase
at all. Do something, stop this increase, give us a
refund from the last unacceptable increase. That's
all I have to say. Bye.
Operator, please call the next speaker.
Next we have Aubrey Clemens or Audrey Clemens. Your
line is now open. Yes, Audrey Clements, C. L. E. M. E.
N. T. S, calling from La Mesa, California. I'm actually
shocked that the Public Utilities Commission would
even come to us again to say. They're going to evaluate
um, San Diego Gas and Electric request for a rate increase.
I would like to ask, is there a record that shows over
the last um, maybe 50 years. What the Commissioner
has done on behalf of those rate increases. How many
increases have been denied versus how many have been
approved and percentage, if any have been approved?
Secondly, I believe if you have a business, it ought
to be run as a business. Not as a basis for, I
consider raping the the constituents every time. Because
what I see happening is we had solar energy, SDG&E
found a way to tear it. So your paying high
rates during when people are home. So everything that
we, the consumers have tried to do to help ourselves.
Has backfired because SDG&E have us in a stranglehold.
I would recommend and I worked for the government before,
and we used to do requirement analysis. And I would
recommend that we do a zero-based recommendation to
find out what's really required. Because we just keep
getting higher and higher rates. I have turned off
the heat in my house because I cannot continue to afford.
In the last 2 months, I had $1000 dollars electric
bill. Yes, it may be the fault because someone um,
have used it incorrectly not realizing certain things.
But I believe the Public Utilities Commission, the
P in that is us. Or else please change your name to
SDG&E Utilities Commission. Thank you very much.
Thank you (inaudible). Operator, please call the next speaker
in line.
Next we have Ben Hibbert. Ben, your line is open.
Good evening. My name is Daniel Hippert spelled H. I.
P. P. E. R. T, and I live in Fallbrook, California. On
the opening page of the PUC webpage. It says the California
PUC regulates services and utilities, protects consumers,
safeguards the environment, and assures Californians
access to safe and reliable utility infrastructure,
and services. Protects consumers is probably the most
important thing that you all need to do. In considering
this rate increase from SDG&E. Uh, I am not
in favor of the current rate increase for San Diego
Gas and Electric. It's uh, $3 billion over 4 years which
is simple math, $750 million annually per
year for the next 4 years. Uh, I understand that
the gas and electric company is a legal monopoly. And for
this reason, the CPUC regulates its rates. Uh, and I
also understand that there are 5 CPUC members,
each of which is paid $219,000 annually, that's your
salary. What other perks going beyond that, I don't
know, but there's probably some pretty good perks.
Um, the annual budget of the CPUC is over $2 billion.
Okay. So obviously there's a lot of money being spent
in regulating California's public utilities. Especially
when consider Commissioners make a total of over
a million, a million dollars between the 5 of them. I would
like to have seen, you know, a couple of $1000 spent
of that money. You know, coming to San Diego instead
of just a couple of meetings one day during this entire
hearing procedures, proceedings.
Overall looked at a couple of items on the budget for
SDG&E in a simple example of what I believe is
inappropriate use of ratepayer funds. SDG&E intends to
spend $9 million in 2024 on marketing, communications,
research and analytics. Why does a legal monopoly need
to market their product and company? There's been an
establishment of the San Diego Community Power Company recently.
But they're not a competitor to SDG&E. They're just, they're
they're directly, you know, funded by the federal, city
government. Um and also SDG&E has just recently installed
new logos on their vehicles. I was perfectly aware
of what SDG&E drove around before. With SDG&E on
their trucks, they spent more money than I can understand
on new logos for their vehicles. So I'm not sure what
that was about. But I would again, please you know
use your public influence to deny this rate increase
to SDG&E. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hippert. Operator, please call the next
speaker.
Next we have Mary Drummond. Mary, your line is now
open. Hi, my name is Mary Drummond, D. R. U. M. M.
O. N. D. I live in Tujunga. Um, our December bill was
$207. Our January bill was $365. Our February bill
was $649. We are on a fixed income and do not qualify
for any discounts. We cannot afford to keep paying
these insanely high bills. If I ran a business like
you do, I would no longer have a business. I rarely
see anyone come to check our gas meter. So how do you
even know how much gas we use? Shame on you for ripping
us off? By the way, we had to buy an electric heater
on Amazon to try and not use as much gas. When I
read the reviews for the heater we got. Many of them
mentioned the state of California and how high the
gas bills have gone up. You have made a laughingstock
of us and the state of California. Thank you for your
time.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker on line. Next we have Christopher Wilkinson.
Christopher, your line is open. Thank you. My name
is Christopher Wilkinson, W. I. L. K. I. N. S. O. N.
I live in Escondido, California. First of all, I'd
like to say, I live in a two bedroom mobile home in
Escondido. It's 1089 square feet. I live alone. I rarely
use my heat during the day. I keep my thermostat at
65° at night and my February bill was $289. I've now
resorted to just turning the heater on before I go
to bed, to heat the house of 70. Leave it off and
turn it on at 70, when I get up in the morning
for about an hour to heat it back up. I'd also like
to say that over 25 years, I worked in manufacturing
industry. And I started as a production lead, moved
into materials. And then for the brunt of my career
I worked as a purchasing manager and contracts. I also
worked for 10 years in the restaurant and grocery industries
for pretty much the same thing capacity wise. So the
point of that is I fully understand the cost of doing
business and what profit margins are. All of these
industries that have just talked, run at about
a 5-7% profit margin. And most of them do very
well at that rate. My question to SDG&E is,
what was the profit margin for fiscal year 2022? What's
the projected profit margin for 2023? And what
is the profit margin in dollars and cents? Thank you
for listening.
Thank you for your comment. Where's her hairpin?
Thank you for your comments. Her hairpin?
Is that operator? Do we have somebody on the line? That
is a speaker currently. And um. Stand by, I will check that.
I apologize for the interruption. Next up, we're going
to have Jerry Conery.
Hi, I'm Jerry Conery. I live in the City of Orange.
The last name is spelled C. O. N. R. E. Y. Um,
I want to thank the folks from San Diego for allowing
us to um, come and talk during their period. Since our
um, uh Southern California Gas Company um event at 2:00
did not get but about 55 speakers through the whole
day. Um, I just want to raise some issues. I have a
real problem with um, this whole um market rate for
um seasonal gas. And I have to ask some questions about
what the CPUC is actually allowing to happen.
So the CPUC approved ability for the, for the, the
utility to go out to market and, and pass market rate
along. But its parent company is the market. So where
are you, how are you allowing that to happen? How can
you be, have a blind eye to this? In 21-22, gas was
stored in tanks. In 22-23, no gas was stored in tanks,
they just charged market rate. Where in the past the
gas was stored, and it was held, and it was purchased
at a lower rate for future use. Now, they don't have
to do that. And yet here they come during this request
asking for infrastructure increase because they need
more infrastructure. Yet, they're not even utilizing
the infrastructure that we've already paid for appropriately
and properly. As has been the operating process in the
past. Why? Because there's more profit in selling gas
to us. And then if you investigate, you will find that
they turned around and sold gas on the wholesale market.
While charging us increased costs at the retail price.
CPUC, you work for the citizens of the state.
You are a product of the current Legislature. And the
citizens in this state better start paying attention,
to who they're electing and who they're appointing
into these roles. It is ridiculous to see the numbers
that we're seeing in these prices. And then to have
the audacity to come and ask for a general increase.
When we're looking at the numbers the way that we are. I appreciate
the time that you have allotted for me to share. It
is inadequate time, but I yield so that somebody else
can let you know how frustrated they are with you.
Thank you for the comments. Operator, let's call the
next speaker on line. Our next public comment comes
from Nate Fairman. Your line is open. Hello, Nate Fairman
F. A. I. R. M. A. N. Business Manager for IBW
Local Union 465. I represent SDG&E's on the
ground union workforce. To provide safe, reliable
service to our communities every day, but we can't
do that alone. We need the Commission to focus on replacing
aging infrastructure, investing in our highly skilled
workers and apprenticeship programs, and continuing
to build the energy infrastructure our customers count
on. Understandably preventing wildfires has been a top
priority for all of us, but there's still a lot more
that we need to do. For example, we can't forget that
SDG&E has a vast system including transformers,
cables and power poles, some that are over 50 years
old. We must give equal attention to replacing old
and outdated system components to ensure safety and
reliability. I know this because for 10 years, I was
a high voltage lineman doing this very work. Underground
electrical cables that are unjacketed are a major contributor
to electrical outages. While SDG&E says it will
replace them all within 23 years. It does not even
have a plan to replace them that goes beyond next year.
And even at that rate, it would take us 33 years to
replace them. All the Commission must give the utility
and its union workforce the resources to make these
critical investments into system reliability. Whether
it's a unjacketed cable, live front equipment, direct
buried cables or old four KB systems that needed upgraded.
We need the support from the Commission to do this
essential work to ensure system security. We must focus
on proactive replacement of old and outdated of components.
That cause outages that are dangerous or pose environmental
concerns. A good starting point would be long term
distribution maintenance planning, similar to the long
term planning we do for generation or transmission.
Look, we understand nobody wants higher rates but the
safety of our power grid and the workers who maintain
it must be a focus. We hope that the Commission supports
the GRC and insist on building the new energy infrastructure.
That will be required to sustain the growth and customer
load. We're all seeing with rapid electrification.
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call
the next speaker on line. Our next public comment comes
from Nick Barrett. Your line is open. Thank you. Um
My name is Nick Barrett, B. A. R. R. E. T. T.
I live in Burbank, and I listened to the uh callers
at 2:00 and now I'm listening again. I have to tell
you, it makes me very sad. Um, I don't know if our
voice it's going to be counted or if you're just patronizing
us. But I do hope that you're listening to the humanity
of these people were suffering and we've been suffering
for a while. It started with COVID and then we barely
got through that. And now uh, over the Summer we couldn't
water for two weeks and we're just, we're drowning
here. It's not that we can't afford the raise. We just
don't have the money and it's one caller said before,
everything has gone up. Our rents have gone up, our
food prices, our cable, our gasoline. I lost my job due
to COVID. I'm working part time. I'm 64, I can't
get a job. My sister, 74 she's struggling. Uh, the
the heating scared us when we got that big bill. And
we had to think before we turned on our heat and as
a result of that, we both got sick with bronchitis.
This is the USA, we should not have to live this way.
Somebody is not doing their job correctly. Somebody
needs to be looked into and, and actually address where
is all the money going? If they're taking profit or
taking raises, they need to do what other business
are doing. They're not getting a profit, they're barely
making it, they're not giving their employee raises.
The cost of living is just out of control and there's
all this talk about mental health. Well, I gotta tell
you this is not helping. People are deeply depressed.
They're stressed out, they're scared and our quality of
life is horrible. I do hope that you take that into
consideration. That we're human beings and we're suffering.
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker on line. Our next public comment comes
from Marguerite. Your line is open.
Hello, can you hear me? Yes, we can hear you. Hi. Thank
you for the opportunity uh, to speak. Um, I am. My name
is Marguerite Ziegler for the record. I live in Los
Angeles, California. I vehemently oppose this price
increase. Um, irrespective of one political beliefs
for leaning people were mentioning that. During the
2pm call. We the American people are just tired
of paying these exorbitant prices. As noted, uh Scott
Drury, the CEO of SoCalGas' salary is $2.9 million.
The average uh, salary for Angeleno is $67,000. His
salary is 43 times more than the average Angelino.
Maybe if Scott cut his salary and the other executives
declined, hefty bonuses. They could fund the infrastructure
changes, they're asking the public to fund. This change
will not impact the well compensated SoCalGas executives,
but will greatly impact the general public. Southern
California is already one of the most expensive areas
to live in the country. The middle class in this country
and particularly in large metropolitan areas is dwindling
at an alarming rate. Millennials have been assessed
and labeled as the poorest generation. Having been directly
impacted by the great recession, COVID, inflated education
and real estate costs. And we're paying into social
security which we are estimated not to receive.
When it comes time for our generation to retire and
other notable adverse economic impacts. We cannot sustain
um you know, student loans, high rents, as well as
these new inflated utility costs. The recent and proposed
increase, um recent and proposed increase in utility
rates continues to contribute to this unfortunate circumstances
for the younger generations. As well as older generations
who may be on a fixed income. And my question is what
other efforts have been made to assess how we can improve
our energy infrastructure. Without asking the general
public to spend more money in the midst of a bare market
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker. Our next public comment comes from Paula
Brant. Your line is open. Hi, I'm Paula. I live in
Poway, California and I'm a senior on a very fixed
income. I do qualify for the CARE and I still struggle
to pay my, my gas and electric bill. I am sleeping
in long underwear and sweats, because I don't turn on
my heater. Uh, the house is frigidly cold. In the summertime,
I can't afford to turn on air because I can't afford
the bill. Uh, and the profits that SDG&E made is
obscene. Uh, it's unfair that they're asking ratepayers
to keep paying more and more every time you open a
bill from them. They want to increase something and
it's just getting unbelievably ridiculous. Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please uh call
the next speaker on line. Our next public comment comes
from Alan C. Alan, your line is open. Uh, yes. The reason
natural gas is 3% increase. Federal CBO reported in
January this year, Cap and Trade $6.5 billion huge
tax increase on gas suppliers. $12 billion tax oil
to force us into green energy. That's where the problem
is and yet you guys wanna do another rate increase here
locally. After two years COVID shutdown, we have all
been struggling. Any increase affects the price of everything
from lumber to eggs. Many small businesses shuttered
tax were never paused. Why? $16 million assist SDG&E.
How about just use that money and lower all of our
bills? Do not raise the rates until the it economy recovers.
To SDG&E, over 200 cities right now are taking away
your customers and put them on the government run community
power. Please Commission and Judge this needs to be
addressed. Opted out of community power. But how many 10s
of 1000 people are unaware they are no longer SDG&E customers.
Will the rate increase push to wipe out the open market
of power companies, and force us onto Venezuela style
government control power utilities. I think that's
what's really happening here to air resources. Instead
of funding our taxes on car charge stations to an infrastructure
that already has flex alerts. How about fund and bury
the stupid power lines to prevent largest carbon footprint
on which is the wildfires. You wanna help us out, start
looking at how you're going to really help us. If this
passes, it will be a 17.6% increase 2024. 10.5%
increase 2025, 9.2% increase 2026. 7.7% increase in 2027.
And that puts it out $285 average per customer. We
sent a man of moon in '69. We can't even keep the
lights on a reasonable cost. Voters look who's in charge.
California and the President, Democrats. Boot them bastards
out. Thank you for your time.
I've got the fire.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker on line. Our next public comment comes
from Amanda Nelson. Amanda, your line is open. Thank
you. My name is Amanda Nelson, N. E. L. S. O. N,
and I live in a small house here in San Diego. I
do my best to conserve energy at home. But last month
my bill from SDG&E was $440. According to
federal statistics, San Diegans pay among the highest
energy rates in the country. And I'm appalled that
the company is attempting to raise the rates again.
To give a little context. In 2022, SDG&E earned
$915 million, giving them a nearly $100 million increase
over their 2021 earnings of $819 million. Its parent
company, Sempra declared adjusted earnings of almost
$3 billion. Sempra is also notably planning its
13th consecutive year of dividends and has spent $1
billion on share repurchases since July 2020. With
another $1.5 billion already authorized for future share
repurchases. Very healthy corporate profits, these companies
are doing well. The $16 million offering assistance
is frankly offensive. Despite this SDG&E has applied
to raise revenues every year from 2024-2027. They
filed that application on May 16, 2022. Just 4 days
before that, on May 12, parent company Sempra declared another
dividend for its shareholders. If there is a way SDG&E
and Sempra can justify enriching their shareholders at the
expensive of us consumers here. I would love to hear it.
Because so far the most obvious explanation for their
actions is unconscionable levels of corporate greed.
I urge the Commissioners to put a stop to it. Thank
you.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next uh, speaker on line. Our next public comment comes
from Tammy T. Tammy, your line is open. Hello, can
you hear me? Yes, we can hear you. Okay. Hey, uh let me get
my phone on it. I wanna thank you for the opportunity uh,
Your Honor and um, Commissioner Hail. For giving me
the voice to be able to speak to the people of the
public and um, defend myself as well. I don't have
anything bad to say but, um I'm totally opposed the
Bill. Um, and here I want to just read over something.
I see that every, it says here that every 4 years that
SoCal is required to file the uh, GRC application. And, um
and let's see if the PUC um, to set the
annual revenues. So, um the annual revenues are the
total amount of money a utility is allowed to collect
throughout the rate and in a given year. So um, I'm pleading
please. Because, uh there are students and I was a young
um, student. I couldn't afford the gas station. And wow there's,
there's children graduating from college, high school.
And it's even harder for the youth there, because I was
that person. Um, down in Skid Row, Los Angeles, I made
a way. I used programs even with the CARE program, like
the elderly lady said. She mentioned, um to qualify
and benefit, you know, even with low-income. It's still
a struggle, because now we're going over the therm rates.
Um, we're using the stove uh, some households that
varies. And I see here in the paragraph, um that
um these are evaluated in, um authorized in a separate
proceeding. Um, for the actual um for,
for as the, the gas the natural gas in the, in the
infrastructure. Um, are different and um the, and the
customer determines how (inaudible).
Oh, so I'm asking that um, the Judge to please think
about this right here, because obviously it's one sided.
Um, and we need to meet somewhere in the middle. Um,
we've already been charged for this and I said refund
you know, for the people. And hear our voice and let
us work together. Not to badger or throw rocks to step
on toes. But let's come up with a plan together where
we're both satisfied, because we need help. Thank you
for letting me speak.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker on line.
Next we have Heather Hosshi. Heather, your line is open.
Hello, can you hear me?
Yes, we can please proceed. Oh, my name is Heather
Hosshi, H. O. S. S. H. I. And um, I would like
to just lay out the facts, you know. Um, SDG&E made
$915 million in profits last year, which is up almost
$100 million from the previous year. That is almost
$2.5 million per day in just profit. That does not
count the money they already have to run their business.
We also know that more than 25% of San Diego residential
customers are behind on payments. In the rate of their
wake of their last rate increase, and also of the hardships
that other people have mentioned with COVID and everything.
The $16 million dollar community fund they're talking
about. Sounds wonderful, it's less than a week of their
profits. Any reasonable business that wanted to make
improvements. Would take some of their profits and invest
them in their own company and not just by themselves
more yachts. It is very obvious that this company does
not need a rate increase. And quite frankly given their
performance as a company, I don't believe they deserve
one either. This is a company that is, you know, the
government Governor has called for a Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission Investigation of. Because they
are starting to do the same sort of rolling blackouts
that we saw 20 years ago. When the energy market was
being deliberately manipulated by them and by others.
Of having the same problems again and their very own undergrounding
VO program. Is going to take another century to actually
complete, according to the Union Tribune. I don't see
that the running a business well enough to deserve
any sort of rate increase. I am strongly opposed. Thank
you very much.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker on line.
Next we have Ron Garnett. Ron, your line is now open
Oh right, thank you. Um, Judge and the um Commissioners.
My name is Ron Garnet, G. A. R. N. E. T. T.
and I live in (inaudible) and run a business in
San Diego. I can't comment fully on the scope of the
proposed budget. It's a complicated uh, situation. I've
been in businesses, very large Fortune 100 companies.
So I noticed a lot of things to consider in this, um
area. What I do want to speak to is, you know, obviously
SDG&E has a responsibility to deliver clean, safe
and reliable energy, and all that that entails. Um, but
I also want to focus on the idea that um, companies
like SDG&E. Um like other, you know, anchor
institutions in our, in our community. Have a responsibility
and an opportunity really to contribute to the social
and economic well being of our community as a whole.
So I'd like to speak to that. One of the things that
I uh, see with SDG&E. That they have been uh,
extremely effective in terms of the area that I work
in. Which is to work with small diverse businesses
women-owned, minority, disabled, veteran, LGBTQ
businesses in the community. And a lot of organizations
talk about things that they can do to try to help that
community. Because this is important for the economic
well being of the entire community. Uh, and SDG&E
has been, you know, quite frankly, a record setter.
Uh, as it relates to supporting the regional uh, economic
growth. I mean, I know that there are some requirements
in the 20% range for spend in the diverse business
community. But this company has done nearly 40% uh,
in that area. So nearly a billion dollars has been
used in this diverse business, um community. And I think
that this is some one of those positive outcomes that
we have to also look at and consider. As we look at
the whole company as a whole. Um, so in saying that
I'm, I'm indicating. That I support uh, the proposal
for SDG&E. Thank you very much.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call
the next speaker on line. Next, we have Ryan Naughton.
Ryan, your line is now open. Hey, good evening. Thank you
for the chance to comment. Brian Naughton, N. A. U. G. H.
T. O. N. I'm a peasant calling from San Diego, California
in opposition to the rate increase. So I love how SDG&E
is offering assistance from a problem they created.
Um and other, uh other fields we call that racketeering.
Uh, but that's just my uh uneducated opinion. Um, so it
sounds like SDG&E is using wildfire fear and climate
change as a, as a tactic to get us scared of wildfires.
So, what I didn't see was a guarantee that there's gonna
be no wildfires uh, from this. And just to set the stage
of where I'm calling from. We have our oven open uh,
to, to let the heat out after we ate dinner. Sitting
in front of an electric heater, uh covered in (inaudible) uh
to generate warmth. Because our power bill last month
was $615. I'm really glad that another speaker pointed
out that California is a long history of mismanaging
gas and electric profit. Uh, ie Enron. So, and this
is the most money I've made in my life. We just moved
here. Um, and we are not going to stay here. We have
to live here because the energy is too unpredictable
Gas prices will fluctuate again. So that's no excuse
for talking about these high bills. So and uh solar
uh we're no longer giving the tax incentives for that.
So that's gotta, you know, we all have to pay our fair
share. So SDG&E is making us go green by making
us black and blue in the wallet. So thank you for the
opportunity to speak.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker. Next we have Camille Randol. Camille,
your line is now open.
Good evening. Camille Randol, R. A. N. D. O. L, I live in
Sabre Springs, San Diego. Sempra has two rules: profit
and expansion. Sempra winner take all approach has
inflicted financial pain on all San Diegans. We need
to have competition. Well, worded proposals to the
CPUC have opened the door for the SDG&E to
use San Diegans as cash cows. San Diegans have the
highest uh utility rates as you know in the United
States. But that seems to have no effect on anybody.
Sempra is expanding while we struggle to pay our bills.
Recently, they purchased another company INOS and
LNG, and they will use that to uh expand to
Europe. Sempra has windmills in Mexico. In fact, those
windmills are sending power to sustain the Eagle substation
echo. I just wonder if we get the benefit of that.
The news proposal for fixed rates is a steal, not a
deal a steal. Equity money with customers to determine
rates makes SDG&E the winner. Yes, no matter what
the gas prices, we're a fixed rate. So no matter what
they get to raise the rates from the fixed rate and
no matter what the cost to them, they win. So no matter
what happens if they get,
but they get what they want, we lose. Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker on line. Next we have Stephen Forrest Smith.
Your line is now open for Stephen Forrest Smith.
Yes, hello. Can you hear me?
Yes, we can hear you please proceed. Okay. Um, thank
you very much for taking public comments, very appreciated.
Uh, my name is Steven Forr Smith. Last name S. M. I.
T. H. Uh and so, um I've been living in San Diego
for some time now, and I've now actually been priced
out of 3 different living situations. So, um obviously
COVID has hit us all very hard. But even beyond that
um there's been, you know, an eviction crisis. There's
been an increase in cost of living, people losing their
jobs. Um and of course, we're dealing with SDG&E
who has provided terrible service in the past. Has
increased rates continuously and plans to do so in
the future. And the reasons um, that we are getting are
not sufficient. And so I'd also like to just point
out a couple of things that weren't mentioned uh, previously.
Um so first of all, um there's no accountability for
SDG&E. There's no civilian oversight, there's no
way to hold them accountable when they cause literally
cause wildfires, wildfires. With their negligence and
with their, you know, unprofessional, unprofessional
conduct. Um and that's, you know, pretty appalling
but it's also not surprising. And uh so what we would
like to, you know, demand as community members who
live in the area and have seen rate increases. Is not
only um you know, than to, to bury the power lines
which I think is just common sense and the most logical
thing. You know, whatever the price tag is, I think
it's mandatory. Um secondly, there's absolutely no
input from the Kumeyaay, right? And the other indigenous people
who are living here. And who have for many, many, you
know, generations overseeing things uh, like controlled
wildfires. Uh in order to avoid these problems and prevent
them from happening. And then my last point real briefly
is that uh you know, this is a compromise. And I want
to say we should say no to this, right? And if not
we should take over community control of SDG&E.
And consider something like nationalizing SDG&E, because
they're not fit to, to run a public utility. Thank
you.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker on line. Next we have Mark with no last
name given. Mark, with no last name given. Your line
is open.
Hi, my name is Mark Whitley, live in Oceanside, California.
Good evening everyone. Thank you very much for your
time this evening. Um, I am opposed to this rate increase
as well. Uh, people should not have to choose between
heat, electricity or eating or being comfortable. Um,
these increases are just not justified. My bill personally
for single household was over $466 in January. Freezing
due to the increase. Stopped using my heat, wearing
layers upon layers as other folks have mentioned. Um,
walking around in the dark, um doing anything I can.
I called Customer Advocate to uh, they ask you know,
what could I do to lower my bill? They told me you
could wash your clothes and wash your dishes at midnight.
Does that really sound like a solution? I think we
really need to adjust the way we think about these
increases, and put the money where it's really going
to count.
People are leaving California at a rate we've never
seen before again. Again, I oppose the rate increase. California
can't afford it. Thank you for your time.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker on line.
Next we have Charles Ferry. Charles, your line is open.
Yes, yes. This is uh Charles Ferry, F. E. R. R. Y, and
I live in Oceanside, California. And I must say that
there's some very interesting comments. Some of the
things I didn't know, uh but uh one that I thought was very
important. Was the gentleman who said that the SDG&E
was selling um, wholesale gas and charging retail
prices to the customers for that same gas. Uh, I don't
quite understand that. It's like a play on, on arbitrage
I guess, but I don't think that's quite right. They
should not be allowed to do. That doesn't sound right.
The other thing he mentioned was that the, they're
not storing in tanks anymore. And, and that uh they're
just uh, using their charging from what they're getting
in the pipeline. I guess, but I don't think they should
be doing that either. They should be storing so that
they can buy futures on gas and store it. Uh, now I
have three points. Uh one is uh, SDG&E has increased
the therm rate starting with the period of December
20th-January 19th, 23. They increased the therm
rate by 60%. I know why nobody has mentioned that.
But that's clear in the last two months that the rate
for gas therms has gone up by 60%. However, the cost
to SDG&E, has fallen by more than 2/3 or 70% since mid-
December. And the last week, last uh week reached the
lowest level since early in the pandemic year of 2020.
That's astounding drop, astounding. So how can you
talk about increasing? Somebody said it's obvious they
shouldn't get an increase. That that is obvious. According
to the Wall Street Journal, future pricing for gas.
I'm almost finished will continue to decline for the
utilities. In conclusion, San Diego Gas should claw back
the recent 60% gas price increase immediately. There's
no need for the increase gas pricing for profits or
for capital use. SDG&E states that it needs
additional capital to complete projects for safety
reasons, and better infrastructure and efficiency. What
they should be instead doing is increasing prices is
uh instead of that, they should negotiate long term
pricing right now. They should be at the negotiating
table, negotiating for future supplies at the current
low rates. Wake up guys and, and if they need more
money for capital borrow from the State of California
or issue common stock or issue preferred stock to raise
capital. Thank you very much. I had a little table
to show that they're, they're mispricing too. Uh, the last
4 months, they owe me 8 therms. Because they overcharged
you know they, they're charging different rates and
what the (inaudible) saying. But anyway, uh I found it very
interesting. Thanks, bye. Thank you for your comments.
Um, I'd like to ask the operator. How many speakers
do we have on line right now?
We still have 39 uh, commenters left in the queue. Okay.
Um, I would like to remind uh, the speakers to limit their
comments to 2 minutes, and um and stay within that
time limit. So that we can um take, you know, all the
remaining public speakers um on this call today. So
again, just reminding everybody to stay within the
time limit, um appreciate that. Thank you. Operator,
please call on the next speaker on line.
Next, we have David Vernon. David, your line is now
open. Thank you. Um, David Vernon here, Encinitas. I've been trying
for 3 years to get the maintenance records on the
smart meters attached to the home. Everybody, every
moving part, every meter has moving parts. Moving parts
just like your wristwatch. Has to be every 3 or
4 years. You got to have it cleaned, inspected or
you throw it away. Okay. When I asked for maintenance
records, nobody knows anything. When I call uh, the service
rep.
They, they absolutely do not know where the maintenance
records are. I mean, think of it. If you got a wristwatch
you got moving parts. Moving parts wear out, they go
out of whack. Otherwise you'd have one watch for the
rest of your life. I have a 900 square foot apartment,
by myself. You know, I cooked a couple of hamburgers
a month and my bill is $150 a month. It's impossible.
You know, I cannot get any answers from anybody. You
got a phone number up there, I've been trying to call.
You've got so many people calling in complaining about
the bill, they're not even answering the phone. I mean
it's, it's just, it's this is the whole thing is ridiculous.
It's out of control. You gotta have some people
overseeing the people who are making the $3 million
dollars a year salary. For God's sakes, wake up. Thank
you very much.
Next.
I would just uh, thank you for those comments. And I would
just say that if uh, the number is not reachable right
now. And um you know, you can always contact our Public
Advisor's Office, um email them and they'll connect
you with the customer service uh at the utility. So
if you're unable to connect with them today, please
do drop in an email. So that we can make the connection
for you. Well, thank you for the comments. Um, operator
please call the next speaker on line. Next we have Lynette
Grant. Lynette Grant, your line is now open. Thank
you so much. My name is Lynette Grant. Last name, G.
R. A. N. T. I live in uh, San Diego here and
this is actually my first public hearing. Because when
my bill increased over 300%, I thought I should do
something about it. So, a lot of really great information
has already been shared and I don't want to take time
to rehash it. But what I will say is that um, with
these levels of profits. We really do need to stop
pushing back, um these rate increases to the consumers.
They really need to be taken on by the business and
the business needs to reinvest in itself. Um as you've
already heard, people are getting less money in their
increases in their jobs. If they even have jobs post
COVID. And at this point, these rate increases could
take fully up to 10% of someone's raise. And with food
prices and other prices that are increasing, it's not
really feasible for families to be able to support
this. Um again, 300% over the last couple of months
with more blackouts in the last 11 years since we've
lived here. Um an additional service challenges that
we've actually faced here. So I do hope that people
will say no to this. There should not be rate increases,
with profit margins as high as they have been listed.
To be able to simply push through rates of the gas
directly through to the consumers and not being able
to utilize that back. Also, I mentioned to my husband
while we've been listening. Every person that's come on
here, literally has prepared speeches which fit neatly
within two minutes. And it's really taking away from
the people who are trying to express their concerns
against these increases. So, hoping that people will
not approve these rates that you will hear from real
citizens and that you will ensure that um the company
is held accountable for their actions and reinvest
their profits and not take them from their consumers
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker on line.
Next we have Janet Farrell. Janet, your line is not
open. My name is Janet Farrell and I live in San Diego,
California. F. A. R. R. E. L. L. Can you hear me?
Yes, we can hear you. Please proceed. I am a financially
comfortable retiree. Who owns a home that already has
solar panels,installed under the old net metering 2
which SDG&E and PUC killed. So I will not be suffering
as much as most ratepayers from the obscene proposed
rate increases, and greed of the Texas-based Sempra
Energy. Whose greatest source of profits is SDG&E
and whose CEO makes over $25 million a year. Rather
I'm concerned about the young people in San Diego and
young families who are already staggering under the
cost of rents and housing here. Many of them are not
poor enough to qualify for the meager energy assistance
programs offered by SDG&E. Yet, these young people
are having a hard time achieving a middle class lifestyle
here. Most of them can't afford to buy homes here.
And now they are facing further utility rate increases.
When they are already paying more for their utilities
than they would anywhere else in the country. With costs
like this, they are faced with a choice of either leaving
town or staying here and never getting ahead financially.
Like we were able to do when we were young. While Sempra
Energy continues to experience record profits. I can't
understand why they need another rate increase. And
why they can't lower their high rates of returns to
their stockholders for the sake of San Diego ratepayers.
I oppose any rate increase. No meeting in the middle
as someone suggested. Because SDG&E is already high
balling their increase. Probably with the idea that
we will meet in the middle and they'll get half of
what they're asking for. Which is way too much and
then they'll complain. Thank you very much.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker. Next we have Donna Byrd. Donna Byrd,
your line is now open. Yes, hello. I'm totally amazed
and just by my fellow Californians who have called
in on this line. I will be very brief. Uh, my husband and
I are in our 70's. We're both suffering from COVID
right now because in part, we have suffered freezing
temperatures in our home. Because we can't afford to
use our heater electric. I wear just like other callers
have said multiple layers of clothing. We sit underneath
blankets, uh it's ridiculously expensive. And the profits
that these company, SDG&E are making are ridiculous.
Compared to the suffering that so many of us are going
through. My husband's a veteran. Uh, we live on a
fixed income. We have too much money, which is not
much money. But to much money to qualify for any
kind of payback. And we are respectfully requesting
that you do not grant any increase to Sempra or SDG&E.
Please listen to these caller, we're begging you.
Please say no, thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call
the next speaker on line. Next we have Gary Powell.
Gary, your line is now open.
Yes. Thank you for, um for allowing me to uh express my concerns
this evening. Uh as, as you hear the sentiments of most
of the people. I think it's very clear what their voices
are saying. I just pray that it's, their voices are
being heard. That uh, they're in opposition to a rate increase
for SDG&E and any of the other uh, power energy companies.
And I strongly urge uh, the CPUC to deny the
increase from uh, SDG&E. When you look at Sempra
and SDG&E, at $2.9 billion profit. Um, a lot of that money can
be used to be reinvested into any of research and development,
and product and service enhancement. Instead of constantly
trying to, trying to get the reinvestment money off
of your customers. I mean, we're seniors on a lot of
us on a, on a fixed income. And it's, and of course
our best earning days are behind us. And it's hard to
keep up with the rising rates that SDG&E keeps throwing
down. And rarely does the CPUC, deny a rate increase
when SDG&E asked for it. And like I said, it's obvious
not hurting for any money. Um and, and
if they take some of those heavy bonuses that
they've given these executive officers. And put that
back into. They would, they wouldn't have to ask and
try to bear everything on the backs of the customers.
And then when you have the program that they're saying
they're offering to help you with the bills. And I
live in San Diego, one particular is the Mac project. That's
a farce in itself as well. You know, you call the program
and it, the line's open from 8:00 to 4:00.
At 8:01, you call the Automatic Voice saying
they've reached their call, the maximum calls for the
day. You call the next day, it's the same thing and
they tell you to call back next week. I went out there
in person to, to try to put in an application. They
wouldn't accept it, saying you have to do it over the phone.
I said, well how can you do it if you never can
get through? So we just need you guys to be a little
more sensitive on the side of humanity and deny the
rate increase for SDG&E. Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call
the next speaker. Next we have Rebecca Young. Rebecca
Young, your line is now open. Hello. Thank you so much
for allowing us to make public comments. I live in
San Diego, specifically in Terra Santa with my husband.
We're both in our mid thirties. Um, I'm requesting for
CPUC and the ALJ to deny SDG&E'S
application to increase revenues. My husband and I
have already made significant changes to our home. To
improve, improve and increase our home's insulation
and energy efficiency. We're fortunate enough to be
able to add a 4 inch insulation layer to our roof.
We've also replaced all of our single pane windows
with double pane windows. We have kept our homes temperature
to 65 degrees in the winter and 78 in the summer. Um,
like other people we also, you know, sleep in two
layers. We wear a long sleeve shirt and a sweater to
bed in addition to our winter comforters. Um, we try
to make sure all of our major um, energy usage like
washing clothes is done after 9 pm. But for those
who have young kids or children, that's basically impossible
to do without waking up your kids. Even at these super
off peak rates, it's still 41 cents a kilowatt hour.
Which is double those rates in L.A. and basically double
or triple the rates for other states across the country.
And despite all of our attempts to increase our home's
energy efficiency. We cannot live in San Diego and
save for retirement. Um in fact due to the increased
rates, we've had to take on tenant. A tenant in our
home to help offset these costs. So we just really
request the CPUC to please deny this application for
increased revenues. Because young couples like me and
my husband and I will not be able to live in San
Diego. I will not be able to raise our families here
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker. Next we have John Muhly. John, your line
is now open.
Thank you, can you hear me? Yes, we can hear you. Please proceed. Okay,
thank you. Uh, first I just wanted to say. That um, I am
against the raise for the utilities. And I would hope
that the CPUC would stand and help the uh, consumers. Because
you're the only thing standing between us and SDG&E
and Sempra. I was gonna tell you basically our story,
but I think I've heard it about 15 or 16 times already
on the phone. I just wanted to say that, you know,
we stepped down from a home. My wife and I are retired,
fixed income. We stepped down to a one bedroom condominium.
And our electric bill is more money in the one bedroom,
than it was when we left our house. And that was only
about 4 or 5 years ago. And that's how bad these
increases have gotten. We use one little electric heater
to heat our place. So we're pretty much always cold
and my wife does laundry at 9:00, midnight.
I mean, you start to listen to people sleeping in their
long johns, and having COVID or being sick because
they're freezing. And my God, you know, we're the United
States. This is supposed to be America's finest city,
and it sounds more like we're, you know, our building
was blown out in the Ukraine for crying out loud. So
please don't allow this, this increase. I mean, the
quality of life obviously is going down. Life, life
is hard enough with the um, inflation with everything
else, gasoline, food and whatnot. So please don't allow
this thing. And um, and basically I really feel bad
for everybody that's having to suffer like this. And
it really should not be. I mean, we live in the mildest
climate in the country, and we have the highest utility
rates right now before they even raise anymore. So uh,
like I said, you stand between us and the gas/electric
company. So please do your job. Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker. Next we have Megan Manni. Megan, your
line is now open. Hi, thank you so much for listening
everyone. My name is Megan Manni. Uh, M. A. N. N.
I. I live in San Diego in the Pacific Beach. Um I
you know, I did the math on these increases and it's
um, you know I'm, I'm opposed to them. But I um, it's
you know, a nine it's an average of 9% increase in
revenues every year. I mean it just you know, they're
asking for increasing the hundreds of million every
year for three years, and $3.6 billion with a B. And
you know, we're not getting 9% raises and, you know
I recognize the $16 million funds. But you know
that it's quite clearly you know, well times pr wise,
we can all see through that. And $60 million if just
apply it to SDG&E customers, that's a $4.30 per customer.
Now rates just went up in January, January 1st of 2023.
How can they ask for an increase for the next 3
years? Um, I appreciate that the grid upheld during
the coldest winter in recent memory. I've been here
12 years and during the heat waves of last year, I
appreciate that. And I also did my part and I cut my
use when we were asked. Even though my house gets up
into the 90s in, in heat waves in the inside. Um, you
know, I appreciate SDG&E's good service when we need
it. Um but you know, we're already paying for that. We shouldn't
be paying more for what we already have a right to
and have been paying for. You know, we want clean energy
to, we know infrastructure has to be maintained. We
need to make sure that companies asking for this increase
are prioritizing what's needed and making sound decisions,
and none of that information is being made available.
You know, we need to know how this money is being used
for $3.6 billion. We should have a say in the investment,
the infrastructure, the contractors chosen um, you
know, where the money is being allocated. And I haven't
seen that level of detail. I certainly hoping that
these advocate groups are reviewing them for us. I
really appreciate you guys, I listen to all your statements.
You know we, we know costs are going up across the
board, we're paying them. But, you know, but this increases
astronomical. And you know, um like insulation in
is a problem in California houses. Not all of us own
our homes and can get them insulated. Um, I'm happy
for the people who have been able to, you know. But
I don't, I don't own mine and, and it gets freezing
cold in the winter and it gets really hot in the Summer.
And, and you know, I'm trying to find a better job
to absorb the fact that every single bill has gone
up. And you know, um but it's not easy to find one.
You know, my bill was $424 in January and $300 in February.
Thank God for the credits. Um but so yes we're, we
are doing our part, we're using less. You know, we're
um we appreciate what you guys are doing. We are wearing
more layers, you know. I um, I know there are resources
out there, none of them apply to me. Um, but you know
I have to use my heat. I have pets. You know, I
can't be cold in my house, I can't sleep when it's
cold. And when it's 90° in this house and in the Summer,
it's hard to think. So I appreciate you guys listening.
Um I just wish that, you know, if there's a great increase
proposal. The number one, there's more transparency
and number two that, you know, it's justified
and it's fair, you know, for God's sake. This is insane.
So these informed consumer comments I've listened to
tonight, I'm really impressed. They should tell you
guys that we're paying attention and I thank you again
for your time and for listening. Thanks so much. Thank
you for your comments. Operator, please call the next
speaker on line. Next we have Christopher Margraff.
Christopher, your line is open.
Hi, can the Board here me? Yes, we can. Thank you.
Great. Uh, my name is Christopher Margraff and I along with many
other San Diego area residents. Are against any further
increases requested by SDG&E, and vehemently urge
the CPUC to deny the request to raise electric and
gas rates. As stated by SDG&E themselves, their
only goal is to increase revenues by $3.6 billion over the next 4 years. Which is more than 11%
per year. Was the $3 billion made by Sempra in 2022, not enough profit
already? Instead of having assistance programs, why
not use that money to maintain rates across the board.
As we have seen time and time again, this additional
revenue does not go back into infrastructure and clean
energy investments as they say it does. But rather
lines the pockets of Sempra's stockholders. They cannot
meet basic summertime peak demand, asking us to cut
electricity instead of increasing supply or finding
it from cleaner sources. While Sempra is able to achieve
record profits quarter after quarter. These rate hikes
are simply unsustainable for San Diegans who already
pay some of the highest, if not the highest energy
rates in the entire country. The CPUC should treat
SDG&E like a public service and make it affordable
for all denying any further rate increases. In closing,
I'm vehemently against any further rate increases.
And in fact, I am in favor of putting the power back
into the hands of the people and turning electric and
gas supply into a true public utility run by the municipality
rather than a for profit company. On a personal note,
I pay over $300 a month for electric and gas in a
one bedroom apartment. I recently moved here from Boston
another very expensive city. And my electric bill was
a quarter of what I pay now. And that's in the Summer
with A/C running. Thank you for the opportunity to
speak and I urge you to deny this rate increase.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker. Next we have Jenny Brooke. Jenny, your
line is now open.
Thank you. This is Penny Brooke and I live in Coronado.
And my husband and I are retired and live alone. And
we've been on the phone for over 4 hours today,
listening and learning. And um, many of the facts I was
going to share with you have already been stated. The
only one I haven't heard stated is. I heard on television
last night that the parent company of SDG&E, made
$9.6 billion dollars in profit last year. And I think
that this um, asked to increase the rate is insulting.
And I request that you please deny this. It is um, we
look to you to be the reasonable and the, the conscience
of our community. Um, the charges that were paying right
now are too high. And their earnings are unreasonable
in today's economy, for a public necessity. I heard on
the television last night that um, California and New
York are having more people leave because of the cost
of housing. And after listening to today's discussion
I think they're also going to say, and the cost of
utilities in California is another reason people are
leaving. Um we also, we keep our temperature at 59°
and where a down coat or a sweater in the house at
all times. And our bill in January was $465 and our
bill in February was $390. I do get up at midnight to
start the dishwasher. I've done everything I can do
to be super off peak and nothing ever seems to reflect
that on the bill. I just you know, I feel like it's
all just a big cloud of um a big curtain.
Sorry to go over, but please deny this request. Thank
you. Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call
the next speaker. Next we have Sophie Logan. Sophie,
your line is now open.
Again Sophie Logan? Hello?
Your line is open.
Hello, can anyone hear me? Yes, we can hear you. Please
go. Hi. My name is Chelsea Logan, L. O. G. A. N.
Um, I'm a resident of Oceanside. Um, I'm a new homeowner
in Oceanside, I bought a condo last year. Um, before
I bought this condo, I had dreams of buying a hybrid.
Um, and driving an electric car and supporting because
of uh, green energy and that seems to be unaffordable at
this point. I can't afford to buy an electric car to
charge it at home. Um, I also can't afford to put solar
on my condo's roof. That would be substantial enough
to offset my cost. I'm actually considering leaving
my condo and renting it and moving back in with my
parents. Because it's so unaffordable at this point.
I understand the need to update infrastructure. But
after looking at the uh Public Advocate's Office, uh
2022 report on SDGE&E. They spend the least
out of all of the other electric companies in California
on wildfire expenses per percentage. They should be
investing much more in that. I feel like they're threatening
us with wildfires um, when they should just be doing
their job. And keeping us safe and providing us a service.
We are the highest rate in the U.S. in the Continental
U.S. More than 67% than the national average, but we
do not get 67% or more in terms of service. Please
deny this rate increase and any further expenses. Thank
you for your time.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker. Next we have Sharon Doormain. Sharon,
your line is now open. Hi, my name is Sharon Money.
I have spoken to the CPUC once before in
January 2016. I was a former resident with my children
of Porter Ranch. We were chased out. We left Porter
Ranch for 7 months, while we endured the natural
gas blowout from Sempra Energy, the parent company
of SDG&E. I moved my children down to San Diego,
to Escondido. To avoid and get away from the natural
gas which they refused to close down Aliso Canyon. Because
they insisted that they needed to store natural gas.
I have had since 2019, in September of 2019. Uh
no, excuse me, September of 2020. At the height of
COVID, my power went out 3 times on each weekend
in September. To the point of where my, because of supposed
uh, wildfire danger. They had to shut off the power
when it was over 110 degrees outside. I have
lived in Florida. I have lived through hurricanes.
I have lived through winters in Chicago. I have no
never had the 22 years of life impacted by electricity
companies as I have in California. I have been poisoned
by, by Sempra. And now you're going to try to raise
rates again on us. This is crazy. My parents paid $600
in gas. They put a $50,000 system on their house, in
2018. They do not have any, they don't have any power.
They don't have any money that they have to pay Sempra
in or SDG&E in, in electricity. Gas $600 in November.
$1300 in December, $1800 in January, $3100 in February.
They are 3 people living in that house and they're
not running anything extra. I get up at, I get up at
12 pm to do, 12 am to do my laundry, for my
kids. This is crazy, we have no power. We had outages
in September 19, September 20, September 21, September
22. Why? These lines should have been buried decades
ago. They are not doing anything but lining their profits
and you are helping them.
Thank you for the comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker on line.
Next we have Suzanne Ziggler. Suzanne, your line is now
open.
Hi, my name is Suzanne Ziggler and I have MS. So
I am on your special discount, and I still because of
my discount my bill was only $400 this last month.
I don't understand what exactly are you trying to
do to people that have disabilities? I am totally against
this, this increase. And I, I like everybody else I'm
just amazed that we're even having this discussion.
When it clearly shows you made a $915 million dollars
increase. So I don't, I really don't get it. But I'm
gonna post everything on Facebook and, and everywhere
else. And talk about how ridiculous these prices are
that you're increasing. So please don't allow this
to happen. This is really, really, sad to me
that we're even having this discussion. So please make
sure that you don't allow this to happen to us. Because
people that have disabilities can barely afford everything
else that they have to, to try and make money from.
Thank you for listening.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker.
Next we have Michael Bezic. Michael, your line is now open.
Hi there. This is Michael Bezic from Escondido, California. Thank you for
taking the time to listen to me. I had called actually
about this very issue. To SDG&E after talking to my
local representative about the rate hikes. When I informed
them was a while back, rate hike spiked and the public
were outraged. When that happened, both the Democrat
and Republican got together and threatened an audit.
Which as we all know during these times, getting a
Republican and Democrats together to agree on something
is near impossible. But for this cause against the
SDG&E and rate hikes. It was they were more than glad
to work together to find out what is going on. When
that happened, the rate hikes miraculously went back
to the way they were. But then recently again, the rate
heights spiked again. Now when they spiked again, I
reached out to my local representatives and also they
put me in contact with SDG&E. What I said is
it seems like there's fuzzy math. SDG&E is advertising
and promoting both in public releases as well as on
the national. I'm sorry. Local news. That rates would
go up roughly 18%. What we're hearing tonight is fuzzy
math. What is happening is instead of people's rates
going up about $25, on average. People's rates are more
than doubling even tripling. So I, my question really
to you is what, what kind of mathematics has been used?
Um, I really want people to look into the math. My solution
is send people, keep your $26 and send back people's
hundreds and hundreds of dollars per month that they're
over paying SDG&E. Thank you.
Thank you for the comments. Operator, how many more
callers do we have in queue? We have 29 callers in queue.
Okay, great. So it looks like if we all uh, the speakers
can stay within the time limits. We should be able
to uh, cover everybody in the next hour. Um again, I request
and remind everyone um, to be conscious of the next
speaker in line. And please stay within the limits so
that we can um take all the speakers that are in queue
right now. With that, Operator. Please call the next
speaker in line. Of course, Your Honor. Next, we have
Carl Miller. Carl, your line is now open.
Thank you very much for allowing me to present to this
distinguished group. I'm Carl Miller, M. I. L. L. E. R.
I live in San Diego. I'm a mechanical engineer. I've
been in the power and power delivery business for 40
years. I'm familiar with many electrical utilities
and systems in the United States and throughout the
world. Uh, I am clearly advocating for SDG&E. SDG&E
utilizes a union workforce for us who live here.
That's the most skilled and the safest workforce that's
available on the market. We're very lucky to have them.
From a safety perspective, the employees and contractors
um on the SDG&E system. Work together to, to afford
one of the safest places to work in the United States
for an electric utility. They go to extreme measures
all of us do. To ensure that the safety is there for
the employees and for the customers. I want to point
out that um, the last place I lived was Chicago. And
the difference in the traffic control setups here in
San Diego and in the SDG&E territory. Is, is
extreme, it is the best I've ever seen. Uh, safety is
emphasized in every way. Job creation in coordination
with SDG&E. We've developed a workforce, create
workforce management program. This program creates
jobs for many young men and women. But also we have
a program for transitioning veterans to get into the
utility industry, for good jobs. Uh, SDG&E has a lot
of innovative designs, significant under grounding.
That's done safely, environmentally safely and, and
done with good planning. And so that it's going to be
there as a solid infrastructure for many, many years
to come. There's also lots of reliability enhancement
and battery systems that are being installed. I hope
the Commission supports the General Rate Case. Thank
you very much. Thank you for the comments. Operator,
please call the next speaker.
Next, we have uh, Louise Simpson. Louise, your line is
now open.
Hello. My name is Louise Simpson, S. I. M. P. S. O.
N. I live in Rancho San Diego, an unincorporated area
of San Diego County. Can you hear me? Yes, we can.
Um, so I would just like to say um, a few things
a lot has already been said. I have asthma and so bundling
up doesn't help me. It can keep my body warm, but when
cold air hits my lungs, my asthma can be triggered.
So at night when the temperatures drop, I have to turn
on the heat. I get up at 5:00 in the morning to go to
work, I'm a teacher. I can't do laundry at midnight
or dishes at midnight. I need to be asleep so I can
be up early, so I can go to work as a lot
of people uh, have to do. So uh, fitting into the parameters
of uh best use of time is not really feasible for many,
many people. I would also like to say that it seems
that SDG&E is kind of being guaranteed profits.
Every time they put in for a rate hike, it seems to
be approved. And they're not being accountable for using
some of their billions in profits to put back in to
the business. They certainly over pay their executives.
Many of their executives make tens of millions of dollars.
These are obscene salaries and obscene profits that
should go back with, which is money that should go
back into the business. And finally, I would like to
say that not being able to turn on the heat or turn
on air conditioning can really be life threatening
for people. It is a safety issue. And when prices are
so high and so many people can't afford to turn these
on the heat and the air conditioning, their lives are
literally at risk. And financially, we are all being
very impacted by the people at the top of SDG&E
who are making ridiculous and undeserved profits.
Um, thank you very much for time, for your time. I am
against this increase and I hope you vote against it.
Thank you.
Thank you for the comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker. Next we have Chris Anderson. Chris, your
line is now open.
Yes, good evening. Uh, can you hear me okay? Yes, we can
hear you fine. Okay. Thank you, Your Honor. Uh, yeah
I just want to quickly address the Commission. I strongly
oppose the rate hike proposed by Sempra and SDG&E. Um,
sorry. Chris Andersen, A. N. D. E. R. S. O. N, from
Escondido, California. I strongly oppose the rate
hike. Um, I'm just gonna reiterate a couple of things that
other people have said. We're paying 3 to 4 times the
kilowatt hour than any other part of the country is.
And that just shows that there's gross inefficiency
and negligence among the utility company here. They
need to be able to use what is within their operating
costs, to do all these improvements. There's no reason
that when they can go from earning $2.6 billion in 2021
to $2.9 billion in 2022. That they require any more
money from the public in order to run their business.
And provide us safe, resilient, secure, power. And, and
they're not even providing a safe, resilient, secure
power, as was stated. By those same energy officials
at the start of this call. Um many of us have chimed
in how. You know we're told we can't run our A/C,
can't run the dishwasher, can't run the oven or washing
machine. Between 4 and 9 during flex alert in
the Summertime. Because our energy grid is not, doesn't
have the capacity to handle it. Um, I've had experienced
several times where my power is going out here locally,
uh due to faulty equipment. Um, and I just think that
this company needs to be held accountable. I think
that there does need to be audit. There does need to
be a programmatic review of how they're spending their
operating funds. And to stop putting it on the backs
of us, the citizens, the paying public. Uh, because there's
no competition and there's no one to put them in check.
So I urge you to not approve this, and I urge some
stronger regulation and audit systems on this company.
For them to show where they're spending their money
and to find efficiencies within their, their own operating
budget. Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call
the next speaker. Next we have Jan Hull from San Diego.
Jan, your line is open. Hi, Jan Hull, H. U. L. L, San
Diego. I'm thoroughly opposed to this rate hike and
mirror what many other people have said. Especially
want to emphasize. I've listened to Governor Reynolds
speak on the 28th of February. And she pointed out that
the goal is to meet greenhouse gas reduction goals
at a pace that will meet those goals. Which I understand,
but she also pointed out that the CPUC had to make
over 556 decisions in 2022. And I can see where you
guys are under a lot of pressure from the utility companies,
just to give them what they asked for. But it's important
I think that SDG&E be, as other people have said
thoroughly audited. They have used smoke and mirrors,
as someone else said. They've been advertising the
$16 million supposed, you know, rebate or whatever. Which basically amounts to $5 a person. They keep using these smoke
and mirrors. They said they were giving California
climate credits. All they were doing is pushing them
from one month to a little bit earlier, that doesn't
save anybody. And also I believe they're hiding behind
this. Um, California goals to become more climate conscious
are admirable. But doing it at the pace that Governor
Reynolds is suggesting is possibly just not doable.
And it's not fair to put this on the backs of utility
payers. If you call SDG&E as another man pointed
out. And I urge any of you on that Commission to just
pick up the phone and call them and see what it's like
to have a phone call with them. It's absolutely impossible.
This company is not being run efficiently, it needs
to be investigated. Um, and so we cannot afford to keep
giving them rate in crisis, increases. Until somebody
does a thorough investigation. Thank you very much.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker. Next we have Duncan Mullins. Uh,
Duncan Mullis. Duncan, your line is open. Yes, hi. My name
is Duncan Mullis. That's, D. U. N. C. A. N. M. U.
L. L. I. S, and I live in Lakeside, California. The recent
SDG&E proposed rate hike is laughable, ironic and
nothing short of sickening corporate greed. This is
not a complicated matter. The company that has been
directly responsible for wildfires, blackouts, environmental
degradation and ridiculous power rates. Now seek to
exploit their customer base further by charging an
exorbitant amounts for commodity, they already have
a monopoly on. We pay some of the highest rates in
the country, while Sempra post record profits. SDG&E
does not need more money to achieve it claimed
goals, despite the political groveling. It is insulting
that a company that has provided a minimalistic and
in some cases, directly harmful product. Expects us
to pay out of pocket for the same amount of power.
In truth, it is they who should be paying to minimalize
the risk of wildfires. By burying their power lines,
rehabilitating the land that they ruined, and sacrificing
their monopoly over power. To allow Indigenous and community
control of our own utilities. Please reject the rate
increase. Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker. Next we have Paul Heineken. Paul, your
line is now open.
Thank you, Paul Hankin, H. A. N. K. I. N, from Bonita.
The biggest issue today is trust SDG&E has lost the trust
of most people, here. SDG&E documents have three different
estimates at least for the amount of increase to experts
and one from the Chief Financial Officer. The increase
is based on 2021 data. Testimony from January 2023,
includes pricing in 2024. The 17 or 18% requested
is way over inflation. How can you justify that giving
this to an organization with such poor accounting.
Even if you have the time and patience to reconcile it.
Many people are hurting financially and medically because
of the SDG&E rate increases. If you have the colder
arthritis, an extra degree lower can cause a whole
lot of pain. Many of the improvements are really sporting
state projects. It would be fairer to use the tax structure
based on how much income someone has reference and
charge everyone at the same rate. SDG&E is also
being audited by the state. Any rate increase should
wait for completion of this audit. We need to know
whether SDG&E uses double speak or cooks its books to
jack up the rates unnecessarily. CBS News reports that
SDG&E buys natural gas during the last 5 days of
months. Why not buy it when the rates are low or store
it? You know, this is gross market manipulation, some
increases. They are based on the 5 year average
some on the 3 year average. More manipulation.
Thanks. Please reject this increase. Thanks.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call
the next speaker.
Next we have Chilese Brown. Chilese Brown, your line
is now open.
Did you say Joyce Brown?
Hello? Yes, your line is open. Go ahead.
Yes. Can you hear me? This is Joyce Brown and I live
in okay. I live in San Diego, North Park area. And
first of all, I oppose this increase. Please listen
to all of the consumers that have called in. I tell
you, my heart is hurting. I am upset and I am a
retired airline employee and I'm on disability. And
I live in a small place as well as some of the
others have said. And this, in this increase with the
utility bill has been ridiculous. And I do believe
that the Governor of California called the State of
Emergency during the COVID. Uh and there was money
sent to the State of California. Now, they knew that
they needed to upgrade all the equipment. SDG&E and Sempra so to me
that should be something done with the federal government
not the consumers. Like I said, I'm retired and disabled
as well, on a fixed income. And everyone is hurting and
suffering and going through. Whether it's physically
mentally, uh just all kinds of things that are really
bothering us. And I just would like to say I oppose
this increase. Please do not let SDG&E any increase
the bills. Let them take money from the CEOs
and whatever. The whatever the CEOs and run the
company owners. Thank you so much. God bless.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker. Next we have Edith Hernandez from Los
Angeles. Edith, your line is open.
Hello?
Yes, we can hear you.
Hello. Edith Hernandez from Los Angeles again,
your line is open. We can hear you. Hello? Can you
hear me now?
Yes, we can hear you. All right. My name is Edith Hernandez
from Los Angeles, and I am not in favor of the rate
increase. I oppose this rate increase. It's not fair
that Californians have to choose between food, heat
and medicines and these companies that are raking in
billions in profits. Keep asking for more. I mean,
I would like the CPUC to hold the companies accountable
by investigating what happened to the storage tax and
also by holding an audit of the company to figure out
where is the money going. Californians are not cash
cows and I live in the US, not Venezuela. And I should
not have to choose between heat, medicine and paying
my taxes to the state of California. Which frankly
I don't see the quality of life that I used to have
before. Uh so please, I respectfully ask that you do
not accept the rate increase for Sempra Energy and
SDG and gas. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. Operator,
please call the next speaker.
Next we have JD Iman. JD Iman, your line is now
open.
My name is Jerry Emond, E. M. O. N. D.
I'm 85 years old. I was one of the California grandmothers
taken by Enron and they bragged about it and I feel
like I'm getting it again.
The profit that San Diego Gas and Electric and Sempra
Energy are making are absolutely obscene. And they're
doing it on the backs of the people of California.
And it is time for the California Public Utilities
Commission to be a Public Utilities Commission for
California. We need relief from this. Not another.
Every time I open the bill, there's another request
for more funds. It's time to say no. I am so against
this increase.
And I hope that you will absolutely take into account
people who are seniors. Who have worked their entire
lives and are in retirement on a fixed income. Now
we don't deserve this. We don't need it and you can
help. Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call
the next speaker. Next we have Whitney Call. Whitney,
your line is now open.
Hi, can you hear me? Yes, we can. I had a whole
speech prepared but a lot of the things that I was
gonna say have been iterated by so many other community
members. Um so I wanna make it brief.
SDG&Es proposed increase would increase allegedly $449
million for next year in revenue. That is significantly lower than the $915 million in profit that had for 2022. They're saying that they
need this money in order to create safety changes and
that they have the safest workplace. No one on this
call has once argued that they don't have a safe workplace
or work environment or that those aren't necessary
changes. All we have said is that they have the money
they have the funds to do so and they're robbing the
community of hard earned money for only profit and
doing it under the guise of safety. But we have yet
to see a single safety measure increase. In fact, I
argue that the CPUC should, should demand rate decreases.
Because it has become apparent that the company is
only for profit and not for utility. On my most recent
bill, my electricity charge was three times less than
my electric, electricity delivery charge. And I encourage
all of you who are outraged at your cost to look at
the breakdown of your bill. Because if you do, you
notice that there is already a wildfire, wildfire charge
built into each and every one of our bills, every single
month. During the hottest month of the year, my apartment
my single apartment with two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
A small apartment in Kearny Mesa was $400 for electricity.
We had our A/C to 78 while it was 100 degrees
outside. It was only 78 in here. And when I called
SDG&E to request or to have more information
on the bill and see what the error was. The lady on
the other line shamed me for the amount of electricity
that I had used. When the only thing that we had on
was the A/C. This company is just criminal. Like this, this
is a public utility service and what they are doing
is just absolutely absurd. That's all.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker. Next we have Barbara Powell, Bone. Barbara,
your line is now open. Hi, this is Barbara Powell Bowen,
B. O. W. E. N, and I am extremely opposed to this.
Um to go over my, my bills that I had gotten from
the past few months in November to December. I used
96 therms and my bill was $262 that was in 42 cents.
December to January. I used less 93 my bill was $475.31.
For January to February. My bill is $281.27. And when
I looked over the breakdown and I seen that they had
decreased my therm usage from 30 to 4 therms and still
use the same, um, amount of money and then from 60
to 5 funds for baseline and they slide. And so my
baseline was at a dollar five and it was changed to
3.45 which caused the high increase of my bill. I called
SDG&E, they say. Well, you use more uh, therms
and absolutely not. I use less and I'm being charged
more. So what that said SDG&E is using us as
a bottomless money pit. Their increase that they're
actually asking for is 17.5% increase and I'm retired
and I'm on fixed income. And I do know that SDG&E
as everybody said. Their profit margin has been $915
million, and what are they doing with this money? It's
like they're charging us for the backfires that went
on in 2007. Because of their lack of maintenance of
cutting down trees from their power lines, which is
causing us to have to pay that bill. So I am just
asking the Commission to just really, really
you know, take charge and consider the customers that
SDG&E is exploiting. Thank you very much.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call
the next speaker.
Next we have Jennifer Van Meter. Jennifer, your line
is open.
Hi, good evening. Thank you for your time. I listened
in on the 2pm hearing and waited in the queue, but
didn't get in. Um I just want to say that I am
opposed to any rate increase. I agree with and second
all of the other callers who have been opposed and their
reasons. Um I don't believe that a company should be
run this way. I'm a small business owner and when I
have unforeseen unbudgeted expenses for equipment,
repairs, tool replacement, etcetera. Um you know, I
have to take a cut in my pay to pay for those
things. I don't pass those expenses on to my customers.
And when my service vans are broken into and tools
are stolen. That I have to replace, that are not covered
by insurance. Or my gas tanks in my service vans get
drilled out and I have to pay insurance deductibles
I don't pass that on to my customers. So I don't believe
that the energy companies should be passing their costs
for maintenance onto us. I do maintenance on my tools
and equipment and vehicles. That I need to operate my
business and I don't pass additional costs onto my
customers. Thank you for your time.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call
the next speaker. Next we have Mike Wells. Mike, your
line is open.
Okay. Thank you. Can you hear me? Yes, we can thank you.
All right. Thank you, Your Honor. My name is Mike Wells. I'm
retired. I live in Ladera Ranch, California have for
the last two years. I have lived in Manhattan Beach
for about 15 years before our company relocated to
Plano, Texas. And obviously Texas has their own issues
uh that they deal with from a power and electric standpoint
But um during that time, I lived in Manhattan or beach
or in Texas. I had never seen a bill over over $300.
And, and I understand in California that climate has
been relatively mild. And the purpose of, of my comments
are not in regards to my bill. Uh even though it's
gone from $59.69 in November to $1213 in January. After
hearing all the people speak today and looking at the
comments online. There are a lot of young families
single parents and seniors that are just barely making
it. And an increase that's being proposed of this magnitude
as if it's not devastating already is going to be even
more devastating. And now while I can't discuss with
any level of intelligence power grids or distribution
technologies or even with the compliance challenges
are for SDG&E. What having worked for the largest
car company on the planet. What I can discuss um
is that when you work annually off of a zero based
budget, you are forced to look at every single expense
you have. And I can guarantee you if there was a line
item that we could charge the public. To meet whatever
expenses we had anticipated. Whether it was further
development or technology or compliance challenges
that would have been, that would have been a nice road.
But, but, but the company is Toyota like many other
automotive companies or companies in general. Like
the last lady that spoke. You have to manage up of about
this. All I would say is I don't support the increase.
Um I think we have to teach us a hard, hard to
look at some of the expenses and thank you for your
time and any consideration. Um have a great evening.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker. Next we have Mary Davis. Mary, your line
is open. Hi, Mary Davis, D. A. V. I. S, Alpine in
San Diego County. I'm calling in tonight as I sit shivering
in my 59 degree house, as I do most nights from 4
to 9. Because I'm trying to keep my bill under $500
this month. You know, things are bad when your house
could double as a wine cellar. As a consumer, I have
a hard time believing you're even giving any consideration
to a rate increase when people are hurting economically
and under such financial stress with inflation and
sky high gas prices. On top of recent astronomical
natural gas bills. Your duty is to uphold the public
good and to balance the needs of the public with the
desires of the utility organizations. When companies
are making millions in profit, which you have already
enabled them to do. I cannot believe you allow them
to further profit on the backs of the working class.
For the record, I am a public official in an elected
position with the Alpine Community Planning Group in
San Diego County. I believe public officials should
be equal with the public and not get to jump the line.
Please do the right thing and look out for consumers.
No to any rate hikes, stop any appearance of regulatory
capture or compromise and put people before profits.
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call
the next speaker.
Next we have Ellen. No, last name given Ellen. Your
line is open. Hi, how are you? Uh thank you for hearing
me. I've been in the Securities and Exchange Commission
job realm for years and I've watched these filings
for years. And know that they are strictly out for profit.
I've been reading and following them. Um, their major
shareholders are Vanguard, Blackrock uh zero just to
name a couple and they are also the same shareholders
major shareholders as the pipeline companies that uh
that these, that Sempra uses to court in their gas. That guy
gets a dollar paycheck and, and I listened to the earlier
call and also was agreeing with everyone. I know you
guys were all appointed by Mr. Newsom. And I know he
has an agenda to get rid of our gas and I think
they are definitely trying to make a dollar before
they are shut down. So please do not vote for this.
They have the money as you know, we can see their filings.
We can see that the main shareholder made $400,000 and
just his profit sharing from last year to this year
has 8 million, 503 shares. That's 401K alone,
that's not his personal. So I'm just telling you this
is all profit. This has nothing to do with the ratepayers
and please vote no.
Thank you. Thank you for your comments. Operator, please
call the next speaker. Next we have Emma Leach. Emma,
your line is not open. Yes, thank you. I appreciate
the opportunity to speak. As everyone else has
mentioned there should be no rate increase. My increase
has been the last three or four months. Now, I've learned
it doesn't matter what you turn off or turn on your
rate is still going to be the same. Good example, I
was out of town in December for 15 days, rate didn't
go down investment and lower. It is the audacity to
ask some more money after they are drained, we can
hardly pay our bill. That's the time I paid my bill
every month. Um, just keep it on now because
I realize that I paid everything in light bill. I wouldn't
have food or a place to live. So I reversed that I
pay mortgage first. I need some place to live. I may
not have heat, which I don't most of the time. And
that is ridiculous to live in this country, live in
your home, but you can't put the heater on. Because
when the bill comes, you would be sick just looking
at it. And even though we asked tonight, no increase
we know pretty much the money speaks, it will probably
be an increase. But it's horrible. Each month my bill
grew up $100 more, $100 more. Eventually you just can't
pay that kind of bill. And anybody in their thinking to
say let's pass to the members. They've already done
that. Let's pass some more or less drain them as much
as we can. Insensitive callous, non caring and that's
a bad place to be. Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker. Next we have Donna Tailbone. Donna. Your
line is now open. Hi, good evening. And thank you for
this opportunity. Um as with many of the speakers that
have come previously or that I've heard previously.
Um I agree with every single thing they have said.
Um I vehemently oppose this increase and I ask CPUC
to deny this. Um, the rate requests that are being
asked over the next four years are much higher than
anyone's paycheck ever gets over any of the years.
Let alone uh those people that are on fixed incomes.
Um these rate increases also don't even come close
to the so called credits that SDG& E claim that
they're going to provide. There was a woman earlier
in the commenting section. Who talked about, you know,
they probably really increased what they really want
so that they could come down. Um and then think, oh
gee, this will be, you know, we've, we've made the
compromise by coming lower. Um I don't think CPUC should
give any kind of increase whatsoever. They need to
deny it completely. There was a woman earlier in the
hearing who talked about no profits. I had to laugh
You're claiming no profits. Give me a break. Um SDG&E
any um and Sempra Energy, their a monopoly. And at least
to my knowledge, I thought monopolies were against
the law. And I thought that many, many
years ago, decades ago that was, there was a law put
into place to prevent that from happening. Um these
rate increases. Uh these, these requests simply simply
simply are just corporate greed at its finest. And
these profits that are being made by Sempra Energy
and SDG&E. They should be used to repair and to
update the infrastructure and not be. Um and the increases
should not come on the backs of the consumers and just.
In closing, to whom much has been given much is expected.
So be careful. All of these companies that are profiteering
off of the backs of the consumers. Thank you and good
evening.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call
the next speaker. Next we have Kendall Polio. Kendall,
your line is now open. Thank you. My name is Kendall Polio,
and I live in Encinitas, California. I wanted to express my support
for SDG&E in this case. Specifically, I'd like
to recognize the investment that SDG&E has been
placing on the environment and wildfire mitigation.
I have seen firsthand how important environmental due
diligence, environmental analysis and the compliance
on construction of the projects are to SDG&E. And
this is from cradle to grave there has been strong
emphasis on undergoing a thorough environmental process
from early planning stages through construction compliance
of projects and into operation and maintenance of projects
So it's important to recognize and acknowledge the
environmental stewardship and environmental technologies
being implemented by SDG&E. I also think it's extremely
important to recognize the wildfire mitigation programs
that are committed. These programs are essential um
part of what SDG&E has been working on for the
past years. It's been reassuring to csg any take wildfire
mitigation seriously. Um They use drone technology
They've been replacing what polls clearing vegetation
and strategic under grounding. We all know what can
happen if we ignore wildfire mitigation and then it's
too late. So I think it's essential that both environmental
and fire mitigation stay in the forefront of planning
and implementation of projects in the years to come.
Thank you very much for allowing me to speak.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call
the next speaker.
Next we have Suzanne Southpole, Suzanne, your line
is now open. Thank you. It's Suzanne Southwell, S. O.
U. T. H. W. E. L. L, in Escondido. I wanted you
to know I am totally against this rate increase. They
have had sufficient rate increases. As a matter of
fact, I've never, never noticed that the CPUC has
ever denied a rate increase or even a reduction in
the rate increase. So perhaps you would be better called
the California Private Utilities Commission. Because
this company is only interested in their private works
and not being um, a public company in the real sense.
If I wasn't on a fixed, I am out of fixed income.
And if I didn't have low housing costs, I wouldn't
be able to afford the bills I have. These people haven't
been audited. They are spending money on political
contributions and those that agitate for their cause
to various political groups and chambers and city councils
and they're not spending the money on equipment and
on the good of the people. Please vote no on this
rate increase. You owe it to the public. Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call
the next speaker. Next we have Perry Slon. Perry, your
line is now open.
Thank you for taking my call. I'm 86 years old. My
bill went from $200 to $1,000 in like 4, 5 months.
I'm just going to add to what was said that I agree
against the rate. I think it should also be on the
table to reduce it to what it was before they raised
it like 3, 4 months ago. And I did call SDG&E,
after an hour and a half. I got somebody to answer
the phone, and I left a message for them too. They said
as an excuse, the representative said. But
he cannot do much because they are paying so much more
for the gas. And I said, well, if you can do to
take the recorded message to the PUC, take it to the White
House. Because the source of the problem of the oil
inflation that that's happening all over. Is the lead
of the oil company and the gas company. That just went
to triple or quadruple the price of their product.
Which is national treasurer that belongs to the American
people. America should be the first to enjoy this and
they cannot raise the price just because across the
ocean, other countries are raising the prices. So I
want to see what you can do and raise it to the
presidential level. And so it doesn't happen again.
And it will stop because they set a path for everybody
to raise prices for another cycle of price increases.
And also I think appropriate will be to refund the
money that they took that they should have taken. And
while doing that and wondering how did they raise
the price the way they did. Before this hearing, before
the PUC could react on it. Thank you very much for
listening.
Have a great day. Bye, bye. Thank you for your comments.
Operator, please call the next speaker. Next we have
Dolla Brown, Dolla, your line is open.
Do you mean, can you hear me? Yes, we can. Oh, he's
pronounced my name wrong. I'm sorry. Um It's Star, S.
T. A. R. Brown, B. R. O. W. N. uh, Spring Valley,
California. And I'm calling to um, advocate against
uh, the increases as well. Um, our gas bill has been
between the last three months, over $1300. That's over
$400 a month. Our electricity thanks to having solar
you know, has kind of been around a negative balance.
But once we threw up, our electricity has gone at the
next estimated bill is, um, almost $300. So that would
put us at almost $1000 for our gas and electric come
next month. Um we have upgraded twice two solar panels.
Um two different solar panel installations trying to
beat, you know, the cost of the electricity. Um previously
SDG&E didn't even communicate with us that, you know
if we upgraded our panel the second time. That we would
be forced into the round 2.0, which took us out of
the grandfather's system. They allowed, they spoke
with us both to cut the solar company and SDG&E allowed us
to make the change. Did not give us any information
as to what we have and how it would remove us, you
know, and bump us into the next charge. So we got screwed
over with that as well. Um you know, no matter what
we try to do to beat the cost, can you get
him, please? No matter what we try to do to beat the
cost of, you know, the rising cost, cost of electricity.
They're determined to not allow solar customers, customers
to save money. Every time you find a way to save, they
find a way to screw you over again. We also have a
medical baseline that we use and that doesn't make
a difference. Um you know, they claim that infrastructure
is the reason that they're making all of these increases.
But when you look at every other state in the United
States, you know, no one else has rates higher than
us and they're able to make it work. You know, I encourage
everyone to go to um bls.gov. That's boy,
Lincoln.gov. And look at the difference in the cost
of rates in states like Chicago, you know where it's
almost the coldest state in the country and they're
charged 15 cents per kilowatt for electricity and 1.26
cents for gas. And these are the places where it snows
in the winter and they have blizzards and yet our rates
are twice as high as all of them. Thank you. Thank
you. Operator, please call the next speaker.
Next we have Berta Ticnado, your line is now open.
Good afternoon. My name is Berta Ticnado, T. I. C. N. A. D O,
and I'm from San Diego. I work for a nonprofit organization
supporting cancer patient. And I'm here to express
my gratitude to San Diego Gas and Electric and their
programs that benefit our cancer patient in San Diego
Kearny. Thanks to the baseline. We were able to register
more than 2000 patients that benefit with more than
40% discount without checking their income. That means
this program, they are not asking for income and the
patient can be with A/C or with the heating with
no high cost. And they provide a very quality of life.
But also (inaudible) was able to help us with more
than 500 patients and families with their bills. When
there was not able to pay that, that was very helpful
and very easy. They had the application online and
for us, we was very easy just to download and print
it. And it is only a few questions. Very simple that
we was able to the patient, able to, to answer it in
send to San Diego Gas and Electric. We have very,
very thankful for all the service and all the benefits
for our community in San Diego. Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker on line. Next we have Vivian DePaula. Vivian
your line is open. Thank you. Um I don't need to repeat
what everybody else has expressed. In the horror and
the shock and the disgust of the amount of profits
that SDG&E makes and Sempra, Sempra Energy.
The bonuses, those bonuses come from our rates, dividends
come from our rates, the profits come from our rates.
That's us paying that money. But what is also horrifying
is the company is not being audited for things like
campaign contributions, millions and millions of dollars.
So that candidates will shut up about rate increases.
The same with the money that goes with partnerships
to nonprofits and corporations and money that goes
to the city and county. That's really, really nice
isn't it? But that's our money, that's our money that's
being paid to shut up the corporations and the nonprofits
and the city and the and the political candidates. That's
hush money basically. So the audit is really, really
important. Where is all this money going? We're making
billions of dollars. Okay. It's going to pay profits
and shareholders and high salaries. That's great. It's
also money that could be reinvested as everybody else
has said. Back into infrastructure and it should be
reinvested and not paid out in dividends. So I don't
need to repeat what everybody else has said on unaffordability.
But it has gotten to the point where housing is unaffordable
but the utilities to run the houses is making it even
more so. And that is just increasing our homelessness
problem and dragging people out of California. Thank
you.
Thank you. Operator, please call the next speaker.
We have John with no last name given. John with no last
name given your line is open.
I'm just gonna ask this customer how much they like
online shopping. John, your line is open, sir.
Once again, John, your line is open.
It's like I'm just Googling offense.
Next up we have, uh Morris De Nosa. Your line is now
open.
Hi, my name is Marco Espinoza.
Chula Vista, California. You can find me on Facebook at Marco
A Espinoza, the second. I just want to know that. I'm, there's
been over 60 people who have spoken before me. And only
6 of them have been in support and I've been taking
notes, pen and paper notes. Um, everything that people
have been saying names where they're from and only
six people have come in support. One of them was from
a member of the Chamber of Commerce, Commerce from
I believe it was Ocean Side. Two of them were union
workers for SDG&E, another one did not say where
she was from. And the last one worked for the cancer
um the cancer clinic. Anyways, I've lived in Sandy
I'm born and raised San Diego, California and I've
lived here all my life except for 6 years when I
left for the military. And now I'm back in San Diego.
And again, San Diego has always been known for, unfortunately
having bad roads, but the mayor I know is doing something
about it. And SDG&E has always been known for being
an absolutely horrible company. Absolutely horrible
company. And now to learn about the California Public
Utilities Commission, it may have the seal, the great
state of California and I love my state. But this body
this Commission is just a bunch of bureaucrats. That
clearly represents only Sempra Energy. Governor Reynolds,
and the CEO of SDG&E whose name is Jeffrey Walker
Martin. There's a reason the expression exists, feed
the poor, eat the rich. And I don't mean that literally
I mean that figuratively. But listen to everything
that everyone has said this entire session from all
the notes I've been taking. This, this is America.
This quite literally is America at its current and
its finest. Apparently, that's great. This is my country
This is who I served. Absolutely not. I do not accept
this 100%. Do not. So when, so when that that scary
word that people like to call Bernie Sanders, a socialist.
When I say that this company and this Commission needs
to be turned over and actually be made into a Public
Commission, a public company owned by the government
owned by the public. That is why because profit over
grade is unacceptable. I'm done.
Thank you. Operator, please call the next speaker. Next
we have John Domenick, John, your line is now open.
Thank you for your time and we allow us to speak folks.
My name is John J D Domenichelli. That's D. O. M. E.
N. I. C. H. E. L. L. I. I do work for a
small woman owned business that does provide direct
services to any part of their supplier diversity program
that was spoken about earlier. Our employees, our ratepayers
and work live and work in the SDG&E territory.
Uh many of the initiatives that are left here are significant
California requirements to meet our climate goals.
uh address our aging infrastructure and many of these
items require significant upgrades, improvements to
meet mandated requirements along with safety, reliability
and especially in the areas of wildfire mitigation
battery, energy storage, resiliency and meeting the
increased demand. Part of California's increases in
electrification. We provide project management, financial
controls on many of the projects currently being delivered.
SDG&E does have significant demands for strict management
oversight of all of those projects and finances. Were
continually seeking to improve processes and efficiencies
to deliver more cost effective projects. And recognize
that daily cost management is a key component of every
project success. Since we support the key initiatives
were keenly aware of the need to meet our climate goals.
But more importantly, it's a discipline that SDG&E
the ratepayers demand for cost effective delivery for
all the work. As ratepayers were keenly aware of this.
Um so we understand everyone's concerns and our work
is focused on delivering the safe, efficient and cost
effective projects. That meet the stated goals that
benefit all of us while employing local professionals.
We do in fact support the GRC submission and support
these initiatives to meet our goals for safety, reliability
and resiliency. And I appreciate the time for me today.
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call
the next speaker. Next we have Mark Mcallister. Mark,
your line is now open. Thank you. This is Mark McAllister,
M. C. A. L. L. I. S. T. E. R from Vista.
My wife and I are lucky enough to have installed a
solar system in 2019 under NEM 2.0. We have
reportedly paid the wholesale rate of approximately
four cents per kilowatt hour for the 2400 excess kilowatt
hours. We send back to the grid each year. I'd like
to understand why at the wholesale cost of approximately
four cents per kilowatt hour, SDG&E cannot make
enough profit. When they're charging 65 cents per kilowatt
hour during the summer. Many other utilities in California
and other states managed to run their utilities and
make a profit while selling their electricity at one
quarter of that cost. Instead of approving this rate
increase. Why not ask SDG&E what they need
to do to make their operations more efficient and effective
with the earnings they currently have. As you can tell
I'm against this proposed rate increase. And as a taxpaying
member of the public, I ask that the Public Utilities
Commission deny this request. Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Operator, please call the
next speaker on line.
Our next caller is Truth. Truth, your line is now open.
Great. My name's Truth in San Diego. On the SDG&E
page about this forum, it says quote "SDG&E is requesting
to increase revenues. The cumulative requested revenue
increases about $1.35 billion. This will impact your
monthly bill." End quote. That's what they talk about
us all about the revenue, not customers. SDG&E is
making themselves billionaires while they revert to
poor peasants in the dark ages with no electricity.
And the California Public Utilities Commission allows
this monopoly. This is why the parent company of SDG&E
is Sempra Energy. Sempra is a world economic foreign partner
who pushes totalitarian, fascist ideas such as the infiltration
of countries governments with their members. People
like San Diego County Supervisor, Nathan Fletcher or
California, Governor Gavin Newsom and things like carbon
taxes, mind control using sound waves, Pfizer pills
with microchips, cricket, the so called sustainable
food, trans humanism, making sure people own nothing
and have no privacy by 2030. Smartphones planted
into people's bodies and car control schemes such as
parking fees, emission fees, congestion fees, curb
zone fees, vehicle type, vehicle size fees, trip fees
per ride and tracking people's cars through the use
of 5G internet censors. But hey SDG&E offered
what amounted to a $100 bribe to keep the $1000 plus
increase in everyone's bill. How kind of the mafia.
We've got rates that amounts to complete discrimination
against the elderly, working families, the underserved
the disadvantage of the disabled and everyone else.
The prices SDG&E are charging are already an electric
bill. That cost the same as a house payment and an
even higher costs and all of the other bills combined.
You guys are literally and intentionally putting people
in the dark. Because that puts SDG &Es parent company
Sempra's partner, the World Economic Forum and the
goal of everyone owning nothing. SDG&E and their
parent company Sempra. Want us to end up just like
Europe with no heat, no electricity, no gas to cook
nothing. We're not happy and you can shove your tyrannical
green future fees. Absolutely. No.
Thank you for your comments. Truth.
Um Looks like um, um, just a quick check with the operator.
Do we have other speakers on the line? Your Honor,
there are no more speakers on the public comment telephone
line at this time. Okay. Thank you. So, with that,
I would like to thank all the public speakers and all
those who participated at the Public Participation
Hearing today.
If you would like to provide additional comments, you
may submit written comments on the docket card for
this proceeding. Which can be found on the Commission's
website at apps.cpuc.
ca.gov/c/A2205016.
And for assistance with providing additional comments
please contact the Commission's Public Advisor's Office
at public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov. Commissioner
Houck, would you like to make any closing remarks today?
Um just I wanted to thank you, Judge Lakhanpal
for your work. The court reporters, our IT Staff,
um and the public for taking the time to provide feedback
and comment on the proceeding. Thank you.
Thank you, and likewise. I want to thank the entire
team that helps with this uh webex enabled Public Participation
Hearing. So that we can reach out to our members of
the public. This concludes our evening Public Participation
Hearing. We will now be off the record. Thank you very
much.