Data center growth has helped PG&E cut rates 11% since 2024, CEO says

Core Insights - PG&E has reduced electric rates for the fourth time in two years due to accelerated large load growth, although wildfire costs remain a challenge for affordability [1] Group 1: Large Load Growth and Electric Rates - The total large load pipeline decreased from 9.6 GW in September 2025 to 7.3 GW by the end of the year, but new projects are entering final engineering phases [2] - PG&E estimates that it can lower customer electric bills by approximately 1% for each gigawatt of new load added to the system [2] - Rapid adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is increasing electricity demand in PG&E's service area, alongside expected growth from California's manufacturing sector [2][3] Group 2: Wildfire Management and Capital Plans - There has been a 43% decline in wildfire ignitions linked to PG&E equipment [5] - PG&E's five-year capital plan is set at $73 billion, with no current plans to update it despite potential additional growth opportunities of $5 billion [6][7] - The company will not issue new equity under its current five-year plan but plans to issue up to $4.6 billion in debt in 2026 to maintain investment-grade credit ratings [8] Group 3: Legislative and Policy Developments - The California Earthquake Authority is expected to release a report on wildfire fund reforms on April 1, which may initiate legislative changes aimed at improving wildfire-related legal claims reimbursement [9]