San Francisco Weighs PG&E Takeover Amid Soaring Utility Costs

San Francisco is pursuing a takeover of PG&E amid complaints from residents and businesses about soaring electricity costs and poor service, exemplified by a December substation fire that caused a three-day outage and significant losses. While PG&E argues a takeover would raise rates for decades, the city has been working since 2019 to acquire the utility's infrastructure and recently gained the legal authority to do so without voter approval through a 2018 proposition. The ongoing dispute reflects decades of tension between San Francisco and PG&E over utility management and affordability.