“The Wild Tree Foundation, an environmental and ratepayer advocacy non-profit which voiced opposition to the settlement throughout the proceedings, told Newsweek: “The CPUC will force the victims of the Thomas Fire and Montecito Debris Flow to pay for their own damages by raising electricity rates from those very victims themselves – Southern California utility customers.
“The ultimate responsibility for California’s utility-caused fires is the Legislature and Governor that have acted to decrease utility responsibility and the CPUC that has failed for decades to ensure that utilities protect public safety and to hold utilities accountable when their negligence causes catastrophes,” Wild Tree added. “It is the victims of these fires themselves that are being forced to pay for their own damages through bail-outs like that approved by the CPUC yesterday.”” (January 31, 2025) read more