For the second time this week Pacific Gas and Electric displayed its holiday spirit doling out $85 million in property taxes to 49 California counties in which it has utility operations. They payments, made last Friday, represent the utility’s property taxes for the period covering the last six months of 2004.

The latest payments collectively represent a $7.5 million increase over similar payments made last April to cover the first half of the calendar year, the utility said. PG&E said the increase was prompted by a higher overall appraisal by the California State Board of Equalization.

In its county-by-county listing, the PG&E utility again noted that its largest single county property tax payment was to San Luis Obispo County ($11.2 million) in which the multi-billion-dollar Diablo Canyon Nuclear Generating Plant is located. The next largest were in the counties in the greater San Francisco Bay area — Santa Clara in the Silicon Valley ($8.2 million), Alameda in the East Bay ($7.7 million) and San Francisco City/County ($5.5 million).

PG&E utility President Gordon Smith stressed that the utility’s timely payment of property taxes, franchise fees and other local taxes/fees is “vital” to helping fund local governmental services. “With local government revenues continuing to face ongoing uncertainties, PG&E’s payment provides a stable source of funding for public safety, environmental protection, health care and education.”

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