Californians Pay for State’s Climate Agenda With Higher Utility Bills

State residents paid about 67 percent more than the national average for electricity in 2022 and about 30 percent more for natural gas.

Electric power lines at sunset in El Segundo, California, on Aug. 31, 2022. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

With utility prices pressuring family budgets in California, some are questioning the role played by “hidden taxes” derived from the state’s climate mandates.

These policies are derived from the state’s goals of achieving 90 percent “clean electricity” and a carbon-neutral economy by 2045, as defined by legislation passed in 2022.