PG&E says it will use the funds to help pay for wildfire safety improvements and other items.

"The 2020 GRC proposal, which is the focus of Thursday's public participation hearings, does not include costs associated with the 2017 and 2018 wildfires," PG&E spokeswoman Kristi Jourdan told The Chico Enterprise-Recordvia email.

"PG&E has the authority to track costs from these fires, including costs associated with repairs, restoration, damages and third-party claims, in memorandum accounts but would have to seek authorization from the (public utilities commission) through a separate application to recover those costs."

The request for a rate raise must be approved by the commission and would give the utility company $1 billion above current rates in 2020, $454 million more in 2021 and $486 million more for 2022.

For the average customer, Jourdan said, the rate raise would be approximately $10.50 more per month — $8.75 for electricity and $1.84 for gas. -Chico Enterprise-Record

Locals disagree

"You know that what you're doing is killing people, and that means you're all serial killers," said Mary Kay Benson, adding "We are not going to just lay down and be collateral damage."