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The Alliance for Housing Opportunity in Energy Supporting Permanent Affordable Residential Kilowatt (TAHOE SPARK), a 501c4 representing Permanent Residents in Liberty Utilities service territory has been denied the opportunity to represent regional Permanent Residents in Liberty Utilities rate setting while the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Administrative Law Judge is allowing a group comprised of second homeowners, Tahoe Energy Ratepayers (TERG) to continue to participate.
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As noted in a recent Moonshine Ink article, an average-use residential customer’s monthly bill would increase by 20.6%, or $37.51 under the proposed changes. However, a Permanent Resident’s rate is expected to see their monthly bill rise by $45.80, or 23.5%. TERG heavily impacted Permanent Residential rates in the 2021 General Rate Case (GRC) without engaging local communities, including those on fixed incomes, those with lower-paying service jobs, and local families, who are all facing increasing energy and housing costs. TERG shifted the rate increase to Permanent Residents in 2021 and eliminated a proposed cap to prevent rate increases on Permanent Residents and Small Businesses. DON’T LET THEM DO IT AGAIN!
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CALL TO ACTION!
Let the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) know you support TAHOE SPARK to represent Tahoe locals for fair electric utility rates for our residents.
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2) Due to the Judge’s denial of TAHOE SPARK’s party status we will need to hire an attorney and expert witnesses to move forward in our fight for fair rates. Please donate here: https://gofund.me/7e70bc71
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3) Attend Liberty’s open house Wednesday, February 26, 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. at North Tahoe Event Center 8318 N. Lake Blvd. Kings Beach, CA 96143 and voice your concerns.
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4) SHARE! Tell your friends to do the 3 items above and join TAHOE SPARK and share with their friends!
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In the January 14, 2025 Energy Cost Adjustment Clause (ECAC) CPUC settlement (page 7), Liberty Utilities did not recognize Kings Beach as a low income community and basically dismissed all of our local communities as full of second homes owned by rich people who can easily afford higher rates. This increase will be back-charged to January 2024 on your bill shortly, separately from the current GRC rate setting. This increase is NOT reflected in the graph below as we do not have the final numbers nor are those on Liberty’s website accurate. The ECAC rates are supposed to help reduce emissions through workforce, infrastructure, or financing programs but our communities have not received benefits currently allocated to other parts of the state through these rates/costs. In other words, we are paying the highest rates in the state and not receiving the majority of the benefits promised us through state policy.
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Liberty’s proposed rate changes to Permanent Residents will represent a 100% increase in electricity costs (compared to rates in 2020-2024) at a time when our local workforce is experiencing the most significant affordability crisis of the modern era. While Liberty has explained that the cost increases are mostly due to wildfire insurance costs increasing from $7.962M to $31.706M, they do not have an approved Wildfire Mitigation Plan nor have they submitted an Executive Compensation Structure to the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety, both required documents for Investor Owned Utilities (IOUs). Permanent Residents are bearing the undue burden of a clear lack of understanding of wildfire risks and the peak demand of tourism on infrastructure, including associated costs and risk distribution. Liberty needs to provide additional details supporting these estimated costs and these documents need to be completed and approved in accordance with the requirements in the Public Utilities Code sections 8389(e)(4) and 8389(e)(6).
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TERG’s recent response to SPARK’s motion to be a party in this hearing attempts to argue that TAHOE SPARK did not present enough details to qualify to the Commission and that they are not appropriate issues to address in the current General Rate Case (GRC). However, the details presented above, along with additional information provided in TAHOE SPARK’s Motion for Party Status and Notice of Intent are adequate for Party Status. The claims stated in the TERG response is only further evidence of inequities in representation for Permanent Residents, and underscores the unethical attempts of TERG’s small group of Bay Area second homeowners, to unfairly influence a community’s local rate setting negotiations. TERG’s ability to influence is magnified by the inclusion of a former Public Advisor of the CPUC in their ranks. It is clear that the CPUC and the State of California are not recognizing the lack of equitable investment distribution, nor considering the affordability of utilities of all Californians through the simple fact that only the big three IOUs (SDG&E, PG&E, SCE) were considered in January 2025’s Assessing California’s Climate Policies—Residential Electricity Rates in California. Our Liberty Permanent Residents do not receive the same benefits of the big three’s ratepayers but our rates are higher, and Liberty provides some of the dirtiest energy in the State to residents living within the Tahoe Basin, an Outstanding National Water Resource protected under the bi-state compact.
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The Administrative Law Judge’s Ruling and TERG’s demands to attempt to control our community’s residential rate negotiations continues to infringe on the members of TAHOE SPARK’s and others’ First Amendment, Due Process, and other constitutional rights. Don’t let this continue!
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