SB 1233: Public utilities: rates.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

Existing law authorizes the Public Utilities Commission to fix the rates and charges for every public utility, and requires that those rates and charges be just and reasonable. Existing law prohibits a public utility from changing a rate or altering a classification, contract, practice, or rule that would result in a new rate, except upon a showing before the commission and a finding by the commission that the new rate is justified and the public utility notifying its customers of the rate change.

This bill would require an electrical corporation or gas corporation proposing to change a rate or to alter a classification, contract, practice, or rule that would result in a new rate to include in its proposal certain information, as provided. The bill would require the commission, in approving the rate change, to take into account, and make specific findings related to, wildfire risk reduction efforts taken by the electrical corporation.

Existing law requires the commission, by May 1 of each year, to prepare and submit a written report to the Governor and the Legislature that contains the commission’s recommendations for actions to limit electrical corporations’ and gas corporations’ utility costs and rate increases or to substantially reduce monthly electricity and natural gas utility bills, and that considers how the adoption of decarbonization policies may impact the total energy costs borne by consumers.

This bill would require that report to additionally include, for each electrical corporation and gas corporation, comparisons for each of the previous 5 years presented by each functional category of operations, across all operations of the corporation, of certain expenditures of the corporation, as specified. The bill would require the commission to make all source data used to produce the report available to the public in an electronic format on its internet website.

Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act or an order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime.

Because the above provisions would be part of the act and a violation of a commission action implementing the bill’s requirements would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. August 13, 2026August 13 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.
2. August 5, 2026August 5 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.
3. June 15, 2026Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
4. June 11, 2026From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 3.) (June 10).
5. June 3, 2026From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on U. & E.
6. June 1, 2026Referred to Com. on U. & E.
7. May 26, 2026In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
8. May 26, 2026Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 29. Noes 8. Page 4445.) Ordered to the Assembly.
9. May 14, 2026Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
10. May 14, 2026From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2. Page 4270.) (May 14).
11. May 12, 2026Set for hearing May 14.
12. May 11, 2026May 11 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.