Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) customers can expect a nearly 13% bill increase next year after California regulators approved a plan to harden electric infrastructure against wildfire risks and upgrade some natural gas infrastructure. 

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) unanimously approved the three-year general rate case (GRC) to recover the costs from undergrounding 1,230 miles of power lines and cover 778 miles of conductors. 

Commissioner John Reynolds, who drafted the settlement, said the decision was “a reasonable balance in the face of incredibly challenging circumstances and competing interests. This decision ultimately represents both an historic investment in PG&E’s electric and natural gas systems as well as an expectation that PG&E must...