The Failure of Anti-Public Energy Proposition 16
Proposition 16 was the most important initiative on the ballot in California last Tuesday. It was funded more or less entirely by PG&E, in an attempt to make it harder for municipalities to start their own public power utilities.
Thankfully, it was rejected, but what’s really interesting about its rejection is that it did worst in areas of California served by PG&E, and best in areas served by other power companies. In other words, it’s reasonable to conclude that in the areas where voters knew PG&E better, they were more inclined to distrust it. One could also argue that Northern California is simply more sympathetic to public power, but as the linked article points out, even traditionally conservative counties served by PG&E voted against it.