San Diego, California: SDG&E Customers Pack Santee Hearing to Protest a Proposed 8.6 Percent Rate Hike

San Diego Gas and Electric customers packed the Santee City Hall council chambers on Tuesday to oppose a proposed rate increase that would add about $22.48 a month, or nearly $270 a year, to a typical household bill starting in 2028. The California Public Utilities Commission held public participation hearings at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Santee City Hall, Building 2, on Magnolia Avenue, and speakers used their time to attack the utility's profits and the cost of keeping the lights on in San Diego County.

SDG&E has asked the commission to approve a revenue requirement of about $3.8 billion for 2028 in its general rate case, docket A.26-06-015. That is $280 million, or 8.1 percent, more than the company expects in 2027. If the request is approved in full, a typical residential customer would pay about $14.03 more a month for electricity and about $8.45 more for natural gas, a combined increase of about 8.6 percent. The company is also seeking further annual increases of 5.5 to 8.7 percent for 2029 through 2031 under the same application, according to its hearing notice.

What speakers said

"We pay some of the highest rates in the nation," said Tyler Andre of SanDiego350, who pointed to the utility's reported $862 million in profit for the first nine months of 2026. "SDG&E just reported record profits for quarter three and are expected to break a billion dollars this year for the first time," he said, in remarks carried by NBC 7 San Diego and the New York Post.

Other customers took aim at what another increase would mean at home. "This is a slap in the face to us, the customers, as we are the ones who keep this company running," one speaker said during public comment. Another asked the commission: "Before you approve another increase, could you tell me: What do we need to give up to pay for it?"

Councilman Sean Elo-Rivera of San Diego also spoke at the meeting against the proposal, in a chamber the New York Post described as packed, with customers and opponents blasting the utility over affordability and its profits.

The utility's case

SDG&E says the added revenue would pay for wildfire mitigation, modernization of the electric grid and the natural gas system, pipeline safety, cybersecurity and rising costs such as insurance. The company notes that its system includes more than 1,000 distribution circuits and over 24,000 miles of electric infrastructure that must run at all hours.

"We know our customers are concerned about affordability, and we take that seriously," a company spokesperson said in a statement. "We're focused on controlling costs, operating more efficiently and finding ways to keep bills as manageable as possible, while continuing to provide safe, reliable energy. Our rate request is a proposal, and it will undergo a thorough public review."

Nothing was decided on Tuesday, and no official action is taken at these hearings. The commission will hold virtual public meetings on December 9 and 10 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., and customers can also file comments in the docket online. A final decision is not expected for at least a year. If the request is approved, the new rates would begin in 2028, and SDG&E says there is no immediate impact on current bills.