California Public Utilities Commission (San Jose).(rate hike)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

Electricity-intensive technology businesses will bear the brunt of the rate hike passed March 27 by the California Public Utilities Commission. They will shoulder increases of up to 87 percent, which will severely hurt the Silicon. Valley's economy, politicians and local business leaders say.

Although most small and medium-size businesses would face rate hikes in the range of 26 percent to 51 percent, such Silicon Valley-based industries as data centers, silicon chip makers, laser designers and the like that use …