The Quiet Cost of “Grid Hardening”: Billions in Spending, One Line on Your Bill

In House Contributor

Published on: 22/09/2026

Grid hardening, replacing poles, undergrounding lines, covered conductor wiring, costs California utilities tens of billions of dollars, and it becomes part of the rate base utilities are entitled to recover from customers plus a return over time.

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Why Your Utility Is Legally Guaranteed a Profit — And Why That Means Your Bill Keeps Climbing

In House Contributor

Published on: 25/08/2026

Most homeowners assume utilities raise rates only when costs genuinely rise. In reality, California's regulatory model goes further: utilities are legally entitled to a guaranteed rate of return on every dollar of approved capital investment.

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Why Utilities Keep Raising Rates Even While Going Green — The 'Stranded Assets' Problem Explained

In House Contributor

Published on: 23/08/2026

As California utilities invest heavily in clean energy and grid modernization, many homeowners assume rates should eventually fall. Instead, they keep climbing. This article explains "stranded assets", older infrastructure utilities must keep recover

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