SB 938 (Min) Utility Accountability Act

Update April 24, 2024: Despite widespread support from the environmental community, energy experts, and thousands of Californians, SB 938 failed to pass out of the Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee. Thank you to everyone who took action! Stay tuned for next steps in the movement to hold corporate utilities accountable and keep our electricity affordable.

SB 938, introduced in January 2024 by Senator Dave Min, would prohibit investor-owned utilities from passing on lobbying costs to ratepayers.

Corporate utilities have been lobbying against clean energy and climate-safe measures in our state legislature for years and ratepayers have been footing the bill. A Sacramento Bee investigation concluded that SoCal Gas, the state’s largest gas provider, has used at least $36 million of ratepayer money to oppose climate solutions since 2019. Ratepayer dollars should not be used for lobbying or political influence.

Current law states that electrical and gas corporations cannot bill customers for anything other than providing safe and reliable energy service, but there are major loopholes that corporations exploit to fund their lobbying and political influence efforts. SB 938 will close the loophole and prohibit corporations from using ratepayer dollars for lobbying or political influence.

Committee location: Failed to pass out of the Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee.

Full bill text and more info.