PG&E Corp

Concerns about high rates for the Utility’s customers could negatively impact PG&E Corporation’s and the Utility’s financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, and cash flows.

The rates paid by the Utility’s customers are impacted by the Utility’s costs, commodity prices, and broader energy trends. The Utility’s capital investment plan, increasing procurement of renewable power and energy storage, increasing environmental regulations, and the cumulative impact of other public policy requirements, collectively place continuing upward pressure on customers’ rates. In particular, the Utility will need to make substantial, sustained investments to its infrastructure to adapt to climate change, enable the clean energy transition, and mitigate wildfire risk. Other factors that could increase customer rates include increases in the Utility’s pass-through commodity costs, cost shifts resulting from self-generation of electricity by customers, decreased gas system load, technological developments, changes in federal or state subsidies, a decrease in the volume of sales, or load growth that is slower than PG&E Corporation and the Utility forecast. High rates could also lead to a decline in the number of customers, which could further increase rates. For more information on factors that could cause the Utility’s costs to increase, see “The Utility’s ratemaking and cost recovery proceedings may not authorize sufficient revenues, or the Utility’s actual costs could exceed its authorized or forecasted costs due to various factors” above.

The CPUC considers affordability as it adjudicates the Utility’s rate cases, and concerns about affordability could cause the CPUC to approve lesser amounts in the Utility’s ratemaking or cost recovery proceedings.

To relieve upward rate pressure, the CPUC has authorized and may in the future authorize lower revenues than the Utility requested or increase the period over which the Utility is allowed to recover amounts. The Utility’s level of authorized capital investment could decline as well, leading to fewer new business interconnections and a slower growth in rate base and earnings. As a result, PG&E Corporation’s and the Utility’s financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, and cash flows could be materially affected.