to the editor: In 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom passed AB 1054 to rescue Pacific Gas & Electric from paying damages for the Camp Fire (“Wildfire victims denounce state law that protects public services from the cost of the disasters they cause,” January 16). In 2025, Newsom introduced the language in SB 254 to rescue Southern California Edison from the Eaton Fire. Now, California workers are paying billions of dollars to cover the cost of fires that these private “public” utility companies caused or could have caused.
SoCal Edison and PG&E executives only care about maximizing profits at all times. We will not survive climate disasters if this system continues. That public services are commodities sold on the private market and not a human right is exactly why we find ourselves in this situation.
Politicians like Newsom advocate for private markets that rely on “competition” to keep costs down. But when these multi-billion dollar industries fail due to their own risky and exploitative practices, they are bailed out.
If Newsom truly believes in free market competition as the gold standard for reducing costs, then why is he bailing out PG&E and SoCal Edison? A company that needs constant stabilization and mandatory cash flows from consumers is not competing freely at all.
As climate change progresses, disasters become more likely for all of us. We need public services; We don't need utility companies. If Californians want to survive a warming climate, we must establish public services so that everyone can meet their needs and we can protect ourselves and our planet from future disasters.
Eduardo “Lalo” Vargas, Alhambra
