SACRAMENTO – On Wednesday the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee approved Assembly Bill 2508 authored by Assemblyman Josh Hoover (R-Folsom), which would immediately lower energy bills and make life more affordable for all Californians. The bill would shift “public purpose program” costs from California ratepayers to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). It passed 12-2 with bipartisan support.
“Our state’s affordability crisis is crushing California families and is largely driven by the highest energy costs in the contiguous United States. If we’re serious about bringing down these costs, then we must take urgent action to make energy prices more affordable,” Assemblyman Hoover said. “By moving the funding of public purpose programs out of electricity bills, AB 2508 will reduce costs for all ratepayers.”
Public purpose programs are designed to provide better energy efficiency, renewable energy, and low-income assistance. AB 2508 addresses rising electricity costs by allowing certain public purpose programs, excluding the Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) program and the California Alternative Rates for Energy (CARE) program, to be funded through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, rather than being funded through electricity rates.
Diverting this funding from ratepayers to GGRF eliminates the regressive impact these fees have on low-income ratepayers. This reduces the burden currently placed on household electrical consumers and would help provide relief to families by reducing the high energy costs Californians pay.
Josh Hoover represents Assembly District 7, which includes the cities of Citrus Heights, Folsom, and Rancho Cordova and the unincorporated communities of Carmichael, Fair Oaks, FoothillFarms, Gold River, Mather, McClellan Park, North Highlands, Orangevale, and Rosemont.
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