For the first time, Orange County residents were able to speak to the California Public Utilities Commission before a decision is made about a proposed $1.4 billion settlement that would refund Southern California Edison customers who paid for repairs at the now shut-down San Onofre power plant. Vikki Vargas reports from Costa Mesa for the NBC4 News at 6 on…
Community members will get their chance to speak Monday on a proposed settlement that would leave Southern California utilities customers with billions of dollars in costs tied to the shutdown of the San Onofre nuclear power plant.
The proposed deal would make customers of Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric Co. responsible for $3.3 billion in costs for replacement power.
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Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric Co. own 78 percent of the plant, and 20 percent, respectively.
The nuclear plant, which closed after Edison announced it would be too costly to repair faulty steam generators, would cost $4 billion to decommission, the utility said in March.
The utilities initially wanted about $4.7 billion from ratepayers, but they were let off the hook for more than $1 billion in costs associated with defective steam generators at the plant.
"What seems like money right now is going to end up costing us more in the long run if we let Edison manage this nuclear waste," said Donna Gilmore of San Onofre Safety.
As part of the settlement, Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric Co customers would be given immediate refunds and rate reductions, according to a statement from the Utility Reform Network, a consumer advocacy group representing the utilities.
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"We believe that the average Edison customer would like to get as much of a discount as soon as possible," said Mark Toney of The Utility Reform Network. "We're absolutely convinced of that."
The meeting was underway Monday evening at the Costa Mesa Neighborhood Community Center.
City News Service and Vikki Vargas contributed to this report.
