Pacific Gas & Electric News

California Utilities to Spend Billions to Cut Wildfire Risk

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California’s largest utilities said Friday that they will spend about $13 billion to reduce the risk of wildfires following the worst fire season in modern state history and a string of blazes that were blamed on …

Utility to Pay $2B Settlement in Deadly 2018 California Fire

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California Edison will pay $2.2 billion to settle insurance claims from a deadly, destructive wildfire sparked by its equipment in 2018, the utility announced Monday. Edison, which acknowledged no wrongdoing, said the agreement covers all …

California Wine Country Adapting to Annual Wildfire Threat

SAN FRANCISCO — Harvest season in Northern California’s wine country is what dream weddings are made of: ripe grapevines and golden sunsets provide ceremonies an alluring backdrop that every year draws millions of visitors. But harvest season now overlaps with …

More Fire-Prevention Power Shutoffs Possible in California

SAN FRANCISCO — Electricity may be shut off to about 54,000 Northern California utility customers this week to try to prevent power lines from sparking and igniting new wildfires during a predicted new round of gusty, hot and dry weather. …

Travelers Profit Rises With Higher Premiums, Lower Costs

Oct 20 — Property and casualty insurer Travelers Companies Inc beat third-quarter profit expectations on Tuesday, helped by higher premiums, lower costs and an increase in returns from non-fixed income investments. The New York-based company, seen as a bellwether for …

California Wildfires: Utility Lacked Basic Training Before Blackouts

SAN FRANCISCO — When Pacific Gas & Electric cut power to large swaths of wildfire-prone Northern California last fall, few of the emergency personnel managing the blackouts for the nation’s largest utility had learned the fundamentals of managing an emergency …

Team Investigating Deadly Calif. Fire Seizes PG&E Equipment

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Fire investigators looking into what caused a wildfire that killed four people in far Northern California have taken possession of equipment belonging to Pacific Gas and Electric, the utility has reported. PG&E said in a filing …

Dying Winds Give Crews Hope in Northern California Fires

SAN FRANCISCO — Easing winds gave California firefighters a break Tuesday as they battled a destructive wildfire that was driven by strong winds through wine country north of San Francisco and another rural blaze that killed three people. Breezes replaced …

As California Burns, the Winds Arrive and the Lights Go Out

SHAVER LAKE, Calif. — Wildfires churned through bone-dry California on Tuesday after a scorching Labor Day weekend that saw a dramatic airlift of more than 200 people trapped by flames and ended with the state’s largest utility turning off power …

California Regulator Approves PG&E’s Chapter 11 Reorganization Plan

PG&E Corp said on Thursday its Chapter 11 reorganization plan has been confirmed by a California power regulator, bringing the power provider one step closer to emerge from bankruptcy and participate in a state-backed wildfire fund. The decision by the …