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Little Hoover Commission to begin study of electricity costs as first step in broader affordability review
Summary
The Little Hoover Commission agreed to begin a staff study of electricity and general utility costs as the first item in a rolling series on affordability, following requests from lawmakers and commissioners’ concerns about bills, permitting delays and implementation barriers.
The Little Hoover Commission on Tuesday agreed to launch a study into electricity and general utility costs as the first element of a planned series on affordability.
The commission directed staff to begin the electricity review — a request brought by Senator Bradford and Assembly member Ortega — and to return at the next meeting with a proposal for additional studies on other affordability components. "It seems that the view of the commission is that we should start with the cost of electricity/general utility costs," staff summarized before commissioners signaled consent.
Why it matters: Commissioners said a focused study could surface both technical rate-setting issues and broader policy tradeoffs—such as subsidies and climate goals—that help explain rising bills. "If the average income stays the same or goes up and the cost of living is going up, we have an issue," one commissioner said when urging the commission to look at electricity as an achievable starting point.
What commissioners said: Several commissioners underscored implementation and operational barriers that can worsen affordability. One recounted that a certificate of occupancy for an accessory dwelling unit was delayed because the utility could take "4 to 7 months" to make a connection, pointing to staffing and capacity constraints. Another commissioner cautioned that some increases reflect deliberate policy choices—subsidies and environmental goals—that should be examined alongside rate mechanics.
Scope and next steps: Staff said the commission would begin the electricity/general-utility review now and prepare a separate proposal for a rolling series of studies on other elements of affordability to bring back at the next meeting. That proposal, staff said, would outline research questions, timelines and anticipated outputs.
Process note: Commissioners discussed but did not take a formal roll-call vote to adopt the study; the direction to staff proceeded by consensus and recorded agreement in the meeting minutes. The commission also discussed coordinating or sharing information with an Assembly select committee on permitting that is already examining related issues.
The commission’s staff will return with a work plan for the electricity study and a proposal for subsequent affordability topics at a future meeting.
