Education and Knowledge Sharing
Our team comprises specialists in energy, regional planning, and public policy, supported by legal experts and expert witnesses in rate-setting matters. We emphasize transparent communication with local governments, Liberty Utilities, the California Public Utilities Commission, TURN, RCRC, and other relevant parties on behalf of our permanent residents to secure clean safe energy at fair rates. We provide insights into peak visitation demands across Lake Tahoe, share our historical knowledge of rate-setting specific to our region, and illustrate how these peak demands influence housing issues, wildfire risks, and energy generation and use. We ensure that community members are well-informed and actively involved in the rate-setting process. By promoting an understanding of our area’s unique challenges, we empower residents to express their concerns and contribute effectively to decision-making regarding rates.
Results Require a Long Term Approach
Rate setting with the California Public Utilities Commission occurs every three years. Documents from the 2022 rate settlement clearly indicate that a group of vacation rental and second homeowners, identified as Tahoe Energy Rate Payers, was the sole representation in rate negotiations for residential rates. Large commercial users, known as A3 users only evaluate their own rates. As a result, costs have been shifted from non-resident homeowners to permanent residents. Previous negotiations took place without any input from the communities living in the service area, including many small rural communities with aging populations, lower wages, lack of access to jobs, and challenges related to affordable housing and rising energy costs. We remain alert to proposals that could affect residential rates, ensuring that the voices of our communities are effectively represented now and into the future.