At the recent voting meeting of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), Ratepayers United emphasized the urgent imperative for regulators to uphold and protect the “COLR” (Carrier of Last Resort) obligation-an essential policy that ensures all Californians, especially vulnerable and rural communities, maintain access to reliable basic utility services regardless of profitability.

Speaking on behalf of Ratepayers United, Bay Area leaders Kevin Holden, Starneisia Hooper, and Jamila Woods highlighted how weakening COLR protections could leave many residents without critical communications and energy infrastructure.
In addition, RU leaders from Southeast Los Angeles called in by phone, sharing stark accounts of poor service quality and in some cases limited to no access at all-underscoring the real-world consequences of regulatory gaps.

Together, these testimonies reinforced the responsibility of the CPUC to prioritize public interest, equity, and universal service access, making clear that regulatory decisions must safeguard-not erode-the foundational systems that millions of Californians depend on every day.

Charging Faith Report Launch at West Pittsburg Community Church

West Pittsburg Community Church, under the leadership of Pastor and First Lady Manning, graciously hosted the Charging Faith Report Launch—bringing together community members, Bay Area faith leaders, The Center at Sierra Health Foundation, and clean energy practitioners. The gathering highlighted the power of faith communities in advancing EV adoption and environmental equity in Black communities across California.

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Ratepayers United Returns to the Capitol

A smaller but mighty group of Ratepayers United members returned to Sacramento for a focused day of legislative advocacy, working to secure key votes ahead of the policy deadline. In just one day, 10 dedicated advocates visited 60 legislative offices, sharing personal stories and pushing for TURN's priority bills to advance out of their house of origin. Their powerful presence helped compress weeks of outreach into a few critical hours—accelerating our collective push for a more just and affordable energy future for all Californians.

Equity on the Mall 2025 marked 10 years of grassroots advocacy on April 23 at the California State Capitol’s West Steps. Organized by the San Joaquin Valley Health Fund (SJVHF), the event brought together 1,500 community members, leaders, funders, and officials from across all eight counties of the San Joaquin Valley.

On April 21, 2025, Ratepayers United members came together at the State Capitol to make their voices heard. Over the course of one powerful day, 20 participants visited 40 legislative offices, sharing their stories and advocating for RU’s priority bills. Thanks to their efforts, conversations that would have taken weeks were accomplished in just hours, accelerating TURN’s work to build a stronger, more affordable energy future for all California residents.

Members are staying active through a virtual debrief on April 30 and upcoming trainings to build the RU network even further.

Leaders from Northern California Ratepayers United gathered on November 16th to discuss and celebrate 2024's work, and to identify and plan for the next legislative cycle.

Leaders from across Southeast Los Angeles united to brainstorm and develop advocacy strategies for the 2025 legislative cycle. The working session, titled "There Oughta Be a Law," focused on bridging real-life experiences and community issues with legislative and regulatory solutions to address the challenges facing communities throughout California.

Ratepayers United held its first in-person lobby day in Sacramento, dedicated to educating legislators on our key priorities for 2024.

Ratepayers United hosted a powerful storytelling training session for community leaders from Southeast Los Angeles, empowering them to share their personal stories before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The goal? To push back against Southern California Edison's General Rate Case (GRC) and advocate for fairer utility policies.

Community members from across Southern California Edison’s (SCE) service area, alongside leaders from Ratepayers United, gathered to voice their concerns on the proposed SCE General Rate Case (GRC) rate hikes.

TURN partnered with 6-8 community organizations to host an outreach event at Good Hope Baptist Church, where we helped community members access utility support programs like CARE, FERA, and Medical Baseline.