SB 875 Fails to Advance After California Farm Bureau Raises Ratepayer Concerns
Published Friday, May 8, 2026
California Farm Bureau recently submitted a letter of concern regarding Senate Bill 875, authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, which would significantly change how the California Public Utilities Commission reviews certain transfers of public utility control. Farm Bureau’s concern is that the bill appears to elevate one factor above all others, whether a transaction is fair and reasonable to utility employees, without adequately protecting other critical interests such as ratepayer impacts, affordability and service reliability. Farm Bureau emphasized that farmers and ranchers depend on reliable, affordable electricity to maintain their operations and that any major changes to utility oversight should be carefully analyzed before moving forward. Farm Bureau also noted that the bill appeared premature, particularly given unresolved issues such as asset valuation and broader ratepayer safeguards. The bill was heard in the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee on April 21 and failed to advance out of committee.
Staff contacts: Karen Norene Mills, kmills@cfbf.com; Abby Carlson, acarlson@cfbf.com.
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