3CE Urges Lawmakers to Make Electricity Bills More Transparent, Predictable

August 25, 2026

AB 1761 would make energy bills fairer by forcing legacy energy providers to show how they calculate certain fees

MONTEREY, Calif., August 25, 2026 – Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) staff and members of its Policy Board are in Sacramento this week ahead of a key deadline urging state lawmakers to pass Assembly Bill 1761, a measure designed to protect electricity customers from unexpected bill increases and build more transparency into the Power Charge Indifference Adjustment (PCIA), a charge paid by many California electricity customers.

Assembly Bill 1761, authored by Assemblymember Chris Rogers of Santa Rosa and supported by the California Community Choice Association, would require utilities to provide consistent, transparent disclosures about how they calculate the PCIA. The charge helps cover the cost of electricity contracts that large utilities entered into years ago.

“PCIA charges that community choice aggregators like 3CE are forced to pass along are making up a growing part of our customers’ bills. Yet, the utilities don’t have to show how these fees are calculated, and that makes it impossible for us to audit these costs and protect our customers,” said Das Williams, Director of Government and Community Relations at 3CE. “Families and businesses deserve electricity bills that are fair, understandable, and as affordable as possible. That’s why 3CE is proud to work on behalf of our customers to bring more transparency to the costs that affect their bills by supporting Assembly Bill 1761.”

Customers who receive their electricity generation service from a local provider such as 3CE still pay a share of those earlier costs through the PCIA. Yet the information used to calculate the charge is not made available for public review.

The lack of clear information has already had real consequences. In a 2019 case involving Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), a review of the records behind this charge found $73 million in errors. More recently, the utility identified an accounting mistake that could have cost customers of local energy providers $217 million.

Assembly Bill 1761 would require the California Public Utilities Commission and large electric utilities like PG&E and Southern California Edison to provide the information used to calculate the charge. The bill would continue to protect confidential business information.

“Transparency is one of the most effective protections we can give customers,” said Monterey County Supervisor Kate Daniels “If a charge affects people’s monthly bills, the public and the organizations representing them should be able to understand how it was determined. AB 1761 helps make that possible.”

More complete information would help 3CE and other local energy providers review proposed charges, better anticipate future costs and speak up when customers may be asked to pay more than their fair share. Having cleared the Assembly with bipartisan support, AB 1761 now awaits a final vote on the Senate floor.

3CE staff and board members are meeting with state lawmakers and the Governor’s Office to urge continued action on AB 1761 to give local energy providers stronger tools to advocate for affordable, dependable, and transparent electricity generation service.

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