The specifics in CA are, the utilities want rich customers to subsidize the grid costs for poor customers. That is, you will pay for your grid connection based on your income, not usage.
IMO the grid connection cost should be based on the value of the property and billed to the property owner, not based on the income of each connection and billed to each person renting an apartment.
Which is ridiculous.
Basically I will be forced to pay at least $50/month ($600/year) for a hookup in an area where electricity has been built out for a century+.
There are something like 100,000 units in the same situation, so my provider will be raking in $60m/year for a grid that is already built, just for my city alone.
I don't pay for water, it is grouped by the building. Which is exactly what I'm suggesting for electricity -- multi unit buildings should have a single connection cost, not one per tenant.
I'd rather have an induction stove, a second heat pump, and an infrared fireplace in my only mildly cold se climate.
I pay $360 a year in base charges, and not even in February, when effectively trying to make it worth it does my usage exceed the base charge.
Then the are another 900 townhomes just like me. Yay for perverted utilities markets.