West OC Times

Assemblyman Tri Ta has introduced Assembly Bill 99, aiming to limit electric utility rate increases to align with the inflation rate. The bill seeks to address the rising cost of living in California by ensuring that utility costs do not escalate beyond inflation.

"California is expensive enough as it is," said Assemblyman Ta. "Consumers should not have to choose between paying for basic utilities and food or medicine. It's past time Sacramento does something to make California affordable instead of passing policies that continue to drive up the cost of living," he continued. "I ran on a promise to make California more affordable and this bill does exactly that."

A recent report from the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office highlighted that California's consumer electricity rates are second only to Hawaii, nearly double the national average. The report attributes these high costs to factors such as ambitious climate policies, greenhouse gas reduction programs, and various subsidies.

Previously, a similar version of this bill was introduced by Assemblyman Ta but did not advance past the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 99 is currently awaiting referral to a policy committee where it will be reviewed in the coming weeks.