Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell, who is leading the race for California governor, has promised voters he will take decisive action to curb soaring energy prices by holding utility companies accountable. However, behind the scenes, he has accepted considerable campaign contributions from the state’s largest utility provider.
Swalwell has amassed over $113,000 in donations from PG&E employees through his congressional campaign and political action committee. This comes as PG&E, a utility giant often criticized for its practices, has increased rates by 101% over the past ten years and faced felony convictions, prompting some officials to reject their contributions.
On the campaign trail, the congressman from East Bay has committed to tackling utility companies head-on, a crucial promise as Californians grapple with some of the nation’s highest energy, housing, and fuel costs.
“As governor, I will hold utilities accountable and ensure that those who benefit the most contribute to solving the climate crisis,” Swalwell asserted.
In his social media advertisements, Swalwell emphasized the importance of accountability, stating, “We must enforce requirements for utility companies to do everything possible to secure their lines… utilities must be part of the effort to restore communities.”
The contributions from PG&E to Swalwell’s campaign, originating from the PG&E Corporation Employees Energy PAC, have been ongoing since 2014, with the latest recorded donation occurring last year.
Swalwell continued taking money from the PAC even after the firm’s equipment sparked the catastrophic Camp Fire in 2018 that killed 85 people and wiped out Paradise, Calif.
The utility firm pleaded guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter after the 17-day blaze scorched more than 150,000 acres, leading the company to file bankruptcy.
The company was convicted of seven felonies in 2016 after a pipeline explosion in San Bruno, Calif. killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes in a suburban neighborhood.
The convictions led politicians such as Gov. Gavin Newsom and Rep. Nancy Pelosi to shun campaign contributions from the utility, which is considered a monopoly in huge swaths of the state.
“Eric Swalwell seems willing to make any promise, break any promise, and take any check to get elected — including from PG&E, AIPAC, DHS contractors, and fossil fuel companies,” said a spokesperson for billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer, one of Swalwell’s main Democratic rivals.
“Tom Steyer has committed to reducing utility rates by 25% by busting monopolies like PG&E, and he’s the only candidate who can get it done because he refuses to take their money and owes them nothing.”
California electricity bills have skyrocketed by 39% overall over in the past six years, thanks in part to the destructive wildfires that have ripped through the state.
PG&E, the largest investor-owned utility in California, had 13 pending rate hike requests before the California Public Utilities Commission as of February, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
PG&E claimed in a press release this month that it expects “typical residential electric rates to be lower overall in 2026 than in 2025.”
Swalwell has claimed on the campaign trail he will bring down utility rates and increase clean energy.
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“Democrats have given us the highest electric bills in the country after Hawaii, they’ve nearly doubled in the last ten years,” GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton told The Post. “How can we possibly trust a Democrat to do anything about it, especially one who is a PG&E puppet just like Gavin Newsom?”
“Eric Swalwell has been taking bribes — sorry, donations — from PG&E for years,” he added.
Recent polls show Swalwell at the top of the pack of Democratic candidates — though two Republicans, former Fox News Host Steve Hilton and ex-Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco, are in the lead.
Despite pressure from California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks, only one Democrat has dropped out of the race — and many voters are disengaged, sparking panic among Dems that voters could wind up with two conservative Republicans on the ballot in November.
California has a nonpartisan primary system, meaning the top two vote-getters in the June primary will advance to the November election.
