California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order this week instructing state agencies to look for ways to lower electricity rates that have become some of the highest in the U.S. - more than twice as much as the nationwide average.

Among his requests, Newsom asked the California Public Utilities Commission to find state laws that could be changed to reduce customer bills, as long as proposed changes would not jeopardize public safety, the reliability of the electric grid, or the state's goal of going carbon neutral by 2045.

Average rates for the state's two biggest electric utilities - PG&E (NYSE:PCG) and Southern California Edison (NYSE:EIX) - have climbed 51% in the last three years, largely due to infrastructure spending and efforts to prevent power lines from sparking wildfires, according to a recent CPUC report.

"Californians' electric rate increases have been driven largely by the cost of some programs added over time, such as the subsidy provided through the legacy Net Energy Metering program for rooftop solar photovoltaic systems," the governor said.

Newsom wants state agencies to identify programs and regulations "that may be unduly adding to rates, for which the electricity system benefits may not be justified by the costs," which critics say should apply to California's various climate mandates and programs.

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