PG&E’s 2026 Wildfire Charge Is 0.591¢ per kWh—What Kern Bills Actually Fund

The official 2026 rate is 0.591 cents per kilowatt-hour

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — California’s 2026 Wildfire Fund Charge is $0.00591 per kilowatt-hour of non-exempt electricity use. The Department of Water Resources’ October 6, 2025 notice specifies that rate for electricity delivered from January 1 through December 31, 2026. PG&E’s published tariff independently lists the same rate.

At that rate, 500 covered kilowatt-hours produces approximately $2.96, 750 produces $4.43, 800 produces $4.73, and 1,000 produces $5.91. These calculations cover this charge alone. They are not estimates of a total PG&E bill, which also includes energy, delivery and other approved costs.

The charge rises with covered usage rather than appearing as the same flat amount for every household. PG&E tariff language says it applies to retail sales but excludes California Alternate Rates for Energy and Medical Baseline sales. Customers should check their own rate classification because account circumstances can differ.

What the money actually supports

The charge supports California's Wildfire Fund, an insurance-style pool created by Assembly Bill 1054 after catastrophic utility fires and PG&E's bankruptcy. The fund can reimburse participating utilities for eligible third-party damage claims from covered fires after specified legal and financial conditions are met.

It is not a direct contribution to the Kern County Fire Department, and it should not be confused with every wildfire-safety expense in PG&E rates. Undergrounding, vegetation management, equipment replacement and local firefighting are separate activities with separate funding paths.

DWR’s notice projects approximately $908.9 million in collections during 2026: a $902.4 million annual revenue requirement plus $6.5 million in projected prior undercollection. Those are projections, not proof of money already collected or spent. DWR has authority to issue bonds for the fund if needed; that authority does not establish that bonds have already been issued.

The charge began in 2020, not this month

State lawmakers created the framework in 2019, and the Wildfire Fund Charge became effective October 1, 2020. PG&E's tariff says it replaced an older Department of Water Resources bond charge rather than appearing on top of that prior charge.

The distinction matters because a Bakersfield resident may notice the cost now without it being a newly enacted September 2026 fee. The rate is recalculated for annual collection periods; the official 2026 notice establishes the amount used for this year’s covered electricity deliveries.

Local reaction reported by 23ABC shows that some residents did not know the charge existed. That is a transparency problem worth addressing, but unfamiliarity alone does not establish that PG&E imposed the charge without state authorization. The CPUC approved the charge and DWR calculates the annual rate used to collect it.

Why the policy remains contested

The Wildfire Fund is designed to compensate eligible victims more quickly and prevent a catastrophic fire from destabilizing an investor-owned utility. Critics argue that ratepayers should not shoulder costs connected to utility-caused disasters; supporters say a shared fund protects victims and customers from bankruptcy-driven uncertainty.

Under the original 2019 framework, participating utilities collectively committed $10.5 billion from shareholders. The CPUC now describes an additional $18 billion fund mechanism under Senate Bill 254, enacted in 2025. The fund’s structure has changed over time; customers should distinguish this year’s charge calculation from earlier descriptions of its financing.

For Kern customers, the immediate facts are narrower: the 2026 charge is usage-based, it supports eligible catastrophic-wildfire claims, and it is only one of several wildfire-related costs that can affect electric rates. What’s the Scoop With Broach will update this explainer if the state changes the rate, exemptions or fund structure.

How to check the charge and seek help

Customers can compare the line item with their non-exempt electricity use by multiplying the relevant kilowatt-hours by $0.00591. Because bills may include baseline allowances, generation charges, delivery charges, taxes, credits and other adjustments, the result should be used to check this one charge rather than reconstruct the entire statement.

PG&E lists residential customer service at 1-877-660-6789 for account and billing questions. Customers should use the number printed on an official bill or the verified PG&E website, and should not give passwords, payment codes or financial information to an unsolicited caller claiming to offer a refund.

Community Action Partnership of Kern operates local energy-assistance and weatherization programs. Eligibility, available funding and required documentation can change, so residents should review CAPK's official energy-assistance site rather than assume that help is guaranteed.

Correction and consolidation — September 13, 2026

This explainer combines our September 3 and September 6 reports. The September 6 article incorrectly described January 1 as the start of the charge; that date began the 2026 rate period. The charge itself began October 1, 2020. We also clarified that DWR may issue bonds if needed and removed an outdated financing end-date reference.