Edison charges a different delivery rate for users with a peak demand of more than 20 kilowatts, Hansen said. Customers who qualify for the utilities rate cap have the portion of their bill above the cap paid by a state loan, although they must eventually repay the loan with interest. Cortina said he raised his concerns with the California Public Utilities Commission at its meeting last week in San Francisco, telling it that the legislation's intent was for anyone using less than the 100-kilowatt peak demand in a single month to get the capped rate. The electricity rate confusion stems from the Legislature's 1996 decision to deregulate the state's utilities. Last year, costs soared and supplies plummeted, leaving the state with its worst energy crisis in at least 50 years.
Legislators continue to seek a solution.
Commissioners agree Tuesday that AB 265 is confusing, commission spokesman Armando Rendon said. It may require legislative action to change. The commission is expected to consider the matter again when it meets March 15. There are no clear answers, said Michael Shames, the executive director of the San Diego-based Utility Consumers' Action Network. Common sense would dictate that if a customer could maintain an average of 100 kilowatts or less, then they should enjoy a price cap.