downed power lines News

PG&E to Fire Safety Critics: We’re Going Beyond Call of Duty

PG&E Corp. sought to assure a judge it’s making progress on fire prevention, saying it’s exceeding regulatory requirements to clear vegetation from power lines. Kevin Orsini, a lawyer for the utility, on Tuesday acknowledged criticism from a court-appointed compliance monitor, …

PG&E Faces Fresh Pain as Old Fire Claims Return to Haunt It

Seven months after a state agency absolved PG&E Corp. of blame for a deadly 2017 wildfire, the utility giant faces the potential of billions in new legal liabilities — and it’s unclear how it would pay for them. Despite the …

PG&E Tumbles on Risk of Up to $18 Billion in Fire-Lawsuit Costs

PG&E Corp. shares plunged Monday after a judge ruled that a jury can determine whether it should pay as much as $18 billion in damages to wildfire victims. The California utility giant fell as much 28%, to $10.22, at 9:35 …

PG&E Posts $2.6 Billion Loss Stemming From Bankruptcy, Wildfires

PG&E Corp., the bankrupt California utility giant, reported a $2.6 billion second-quarter loss and said it expects more charges this year tied to wildfires that devastated the state in 2017 and 2018. The company, which didn’t provide an outlook for …

PG&E Disagrees With WSJ Story Over Power Line Upgrades

PG&E Corp. told a judge it “strongly disagrees” with a Wall Street Journal storysuggesting that the utility knew its equipment near the ignition point of California’s deadliest wildfire badly needed upgrades and nonetheless deferred maintenance. The company’s response, filed Wednesday, …

California Cities Ask Newsom to Remove Hurdles for PG&E Assets

A new California law, a win for Governor Gavin Newsom, is intended to help utilities cover wildfire liabilities. But it’s also impeding the efforts of cities such as San Francisco that are seeking power independence. Now, they’re pressing Newsom to …

California Regulator Considers Penalty Against PG&E for 2017 Wildfires

California utilities regulator has opened a case to evaluate and consider penalties against power and gas utility PG&E Corp for its involvement in the fierce wildfires that killed 46 people in Northern California’s wine country in 2017. The proceeding will …

PG&E Reaches $1 Billion Wildfire Settlement With Local Agencies

PG&E Corp., the California utility giant that went bankrupt five months ago amid crippling wildfire liabilities, has reached a $1 billion settlement with local government agencies that were harmed by blazes its equipment ignited. The deal between PG&E and 14 …

Judge Approves $105M Fund for California Wildfire Survivors

Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. received approval Wednesday to establish a $105 million fund to help survivors of recent California wildfires started by the utility’s equipment. A federal judge overseeing PG&E’s bankruptcy case approved the utility’s wildfire assistance program to …

Investigators Pin Thomas Fire on Southern California Power Lines

One of the largest fires in California history was sparked by Southern California Edison power lines that came into contact during high winds, investigators said Wednesday. The resulting arc ignited dry brush on Dec. 4, 2017, starting the blaze in …