With the hefty increase so far this year, PG&E’s rates are now approaching those of Hawaii, a state with the unfortunate distinction of having the most expensive power in the nation.
Hawaii has long paid the highest of any state for power – in part because as an island nation, oil must be shipped in from as far as Libya and Argentina. The cost to generate power accounts for about half the average 41 cents per kilowatt hour price Hawaiian customers pay, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
“Hawaii has been held out as the entity with the highest rates in the United States,” said Mike Campbell, who tracks rates for the consumer watchdog arm of the California Public Utilities Commission. He says over the last five years, PG&E’s rates have nearly doubled in California.
After January’s rate hike, PG&E customers began paying on average 39.6 cents per kilowatt …