SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Today the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) finalized rules requiring California residents to pay new monthly fixed charges on their electricity bills. Households that qualify for the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) and Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) programs will see $6 and $12 monthly charges, respectively, while all other customers will pay $24.15 monthly.

Following is a statement from Stephanie Doyle, California state affairs director for the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA):

“While the final charges are lower than what investor-owned utilities wanted, these are still new costs coming out of the pockets of California families that are already struggling with the high cost of living in the state. Any future changes to the fixed charges must thoroughly consider the impact to rooftop solar and storage adoption and electrification measures that are critical to meeting the state’s climate goals. It’s clear that there are better ways to reduce California’s extremely high utility rates and encourage electrification, and SEIA will continue to push for those policies going forward.”