This week, the State held a hearing to discuss moving forward on the goals of SB 100 – California Renewables Portfolio Standard, which requires the state to institute requirements that all retail sales of electricity (100%) to California end-use customers be made up of eligible renewable energy resources and zero-carbon resources.  With representatives from the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) in attendance, Association President/CEO Roger Isom told the audience that “we are at a tipping point with electricity rates and any more rate increases are unacceptable”.  Isom stated that it is clear electricity rates will go up with the implementation of SB 100 if this state tries to meet the renewable goals set forth in the legislation.  Isom said that we already have rates that are too high and that make agriculture non-competitive with the rest of the country and the world.  For example PG&E rates are 50% higher than the national average, and according to USDA ARS data California cotton gins pay 43.3% more for electricity on average than the rest of the country.  And that is based on current rates not including SB 100 or the impending rate increases due to the wildfires including paying for utility liability from the fires, system hardening to help avoid future issues, and ongoing wildfire mitigation.  The hearings will continue into 2020 and the Association will continue to make its voice heard and stand against future rate increases.