PG&E spending on Proposition 16 reaches $44 million

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Pacific Gas & Electric Co.’s spending on Proposition 16 has hit $44 million, according to new campaign reports. The amount is far above the $35 million that the utility originally budgeted for the campaign.

Proposition 16 was placed on the ballot by PG&E to make it more difficult for local governments to form municipal utilities.

Capitol Weekly’s John Howard reports that in a Feb. 19 statement to shareholders, the utility’s corporate arm said that the per-share cost could be 6 cents to 9 cents to finance the campaign, which translates into a total cost of $25 million to $35 million. The corporation had $1.22 billion in profits during 2009.

Opponents of Proposition 16, led by The Utility Reform Network, have raised about $36,000, according to state campaign disclosure documents.

-- Anthony York in Sacramento