Wildfires and a 'black box' of utility spending drive California's record electric rate hikes

Wildfires and a 'black box' of utility spending drive California's record electric rate hikes

After paying all her bills, Araceli Salinas said she didn’t have enough money left to take her family out for a pizza. The high cost of living at her home in Madera, California, was worse in the summer months. For years, her monthly electric utility bills routinely hit the $300 range.  “With PG&E that high, sometimes you have to buy just the basics for you and your kids,” said Salinas, in an interview with Straight Arrow News. For Salinas, the b…