BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — California’s wildfire funding plan replaced a small fee previously managed by the Department of Water Resources that appeared on most residents’ PG&E bills.
In 2019, the fund was revamped to call on Californians to shoulder a financial burden and confront the wildfire crisis head-on. The new fee, tucked into utility bills, scales based on household energy use.
Some residents, including David Kent, were unaware of where that money was coming from.
“I thought it was paid through general funds,” Kent said.
Kent said he does not mind the small contribution, but he can see how the fee might upset other residents.
“I believe that there’s going to be a lot of unnecessary feedback and unpopular feedback because of it,” Kent said.
Alexander Clark, the chief of Kern County Fire Department, said his department is not in charge of handling the money. Instead, the funds flow through multiple levels of government before reaching local agencies.
“Income tax, federal income tax, all of those resources funnel through the state, the cities and the local government and so all that money comes back and helps us,” Clark said.
PG&E said the money is used to help prevent fires before they start, including updating underground infrastructure to prevent the start of hazardous fires.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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