CALIFORNIA UTILITY RATE ASSISTANCE

• California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) began in 1989 as result of state legislation.  On June 7, 2001, the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) raised the amount of the CARE discount from its historic level of 15 percent to 20 percent, and increased income eligibility levels from 150 percent of federal poverty guidelines to 175 percent for all regulated utilities. The proposed 2001 CARE budget, now incorporated into electric utility restructuring implementation, is $125 million.  See electric utility restructuring legislation.
  
  Additionally some municipal utilities have discount programs for low-income and seniors.

LEVERAGING

2001: $174.3 million

LEGISLATIVE CODE

California Public Utilities Code, sec. 739.1-739.2