PG&E says data center growth has actually lowered its electric rates 11% since 2024, with each new GW of load shaving ~1% off customer bills. (Utility Dive)
The company's large-load pipeline stands at 7.3 GW, with 3.6 GW now in final engineering phases. CEO Patti Poppe says the math works because spreading fixed costs across more consumption drives rates down—a sharp contrast to the cost-shifting fears dominating the national data center debate.
The catch: California's wildfire policies are eating the savings. Credit agencies won't upgrade PG&E to investment-grade until the state reforms its Wildfire Fund, which the CPUC itself has called "regressive" and unfair to ratepayers.