PG&E rate increase on the agenda for Merced meeting
The California Public Utilities Commission will hold a meeting in Merced on Thursday.
The commission will be asked to approve a rate increase by Pacific Gas and Electric and to identify disadvantaged communities in the San Joaquin Valley, according to the agenda.
The commission meets at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at Merced City Hall, 678 W. 18th St.
The PG&E rate increase would continue through 2019. Along with identifying disadvantaged communities, the commission is tasked with finding ways to increase access to affordable energy in those communities.
The state governing body regulates privately owned electric, natural gas, telecommunications, water, railroad, rail transit and passenger transportation companies.
The meeting in Merced begins with time allotted for public comment.
The commission typically holds voting meetings twice a month at its headquarters in San Francisco, according to a news release, and routinely schedules meetings in other cities throughout the state.
The commission is meant to serve public interest by protecting consumers and ensuring the provision of safe, reliable utility service and infrastructure at reasonable rates, with a commitment to environmental enhancement and a healthy California economy, according to a news release
For more information on the commission, go to www.cpuc.ca.gov. The meeting can also be heard on a listen-only call-in number at 1-800-857-1917, passcode 92105.
Thaddeus Miller: 209-385-2453, @thaddeusmiller
This story was originally published May 8, 2017 at 6:07 PM with the headline "PG&E rate increase on the agenda for Merced meeting."