It is a rare moment to open the monthly PG & E bill and not find another request for a rate increase. Because PG & E is a legalized monopoly, utility customers are captive and cannot go elsewhere for service.
According to a recent Monterey County Herald news item, PG & E is proposing the installation of 25,000 electric car charging stations and they want their utility customers to pick up the tab. The estimated price tag is $653.8 million which will cost rate payers 70 cents a month for five years.
We are left to wonder: "Are these charging stations metered so that motorists utilizing these fast charge stations would pay for the service?" If so, it would appear logical for this metered service to include the cost of original installation thus relieving utility customers of any set up costs.
Years ago Pacific Bell installed public telephone booths and managed to do so without charging all their ratepayers the installation costs. Pay phone customers handled these costs on a pay as you go basis.
Our political leaders have complained that pollution free automobiles do not buy gasoline and therefore do not pay road tax which has led to diminished road taxes. It would seem logical for a metered service at these charging stations to include some road tax.
It appears PG & E and politicians have one thing in common; they have never seen a tax or rate increase they did not like.