A CAREFUL BALANCE

Re “Why SDG&E needs to reconsider its rate hike” (June 10): Thank you for acknowledging the “unenviable” position SDG&E is in as we plan for the future energy demands of the region while trying to keep bills affordable. It's a careful balance that we try to reach, and I understand asking customers to pay more in 2024 is difficult, especially given the inflationary pressures impacting families.

We are privileged to serve this region and our mission is to be the cleanest, safest and most reliable utility in the country, supporting California's aggressive climate goals. We continue making steady progress. SDG&E has created an industryleading wildfire safety program to help protect communities while other parts of the state struggle. We've been the most reliable utility in the West for 16 consecutive years. And we're deploying technologies like batteries and EV chargers to enable the clean energy transition.

We're proud to deliver these benefits to customers, but there's more to do, and our budget request reflects these priorities. In fact, this is our first budget request centered on sustainability to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. It includes a grid modernization plan to integrate more renewable energy, electric vehicles and microgrids critical to reducing carbon emissions — and ensure reliability.

I hear from our customers often and they've made one thing clear: They are counting on us to transform the power grid in a way that's safe, reliable, equitable and affordable. We're listening. And our dedicated employees, who are part of the communities we serve, are working every day on solutions to tackle this statewide challenge.