California utility (PG&E) to pay $55 million for massive wildfires

[ificandream]

AP/Olga R. Rodriguez

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Pacific Gas & Electric has agreed to pay more than $55 million to avoid criminal prosecution for two major wildfires started by aging Northern California power lines belonging to the nation’s largest utility, prosecutors announced Monday.

PG&E does not admit wrongdoing in the two settlements reached with prosecutors for last year’s Dixie Fire — one of the biggest wildfires in California’s history — and the 2019 Kincade Fire in Sonoma County. The deals expedite damage payments to the hundreds of people whose homes were destroyed.

PG&E also will submit to five years of oversight by an independent monitor similar to the supervision it faced during five years of criminal probation after it was convicted for misconduct that contributed to its natural gas explosion that killed eight people in 2010.

Pacific Gas & Electric has been blamed for more than 30 wildfires since 2017 that wiped out more than 23,000 homes and businesses and killed more than 100 people. It previously reached settlements with wildfire victims of more than $25.5 billion.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-business-california-environment-fires-098f18ec53e70732bb13384a7720559b

This isn't the first disaster PG&E has been blamed for. And we, the utility customers, keep paying for it. Disgraceful.

[onecaliberal]

1. I guess that means yet another rate increase

[cbabe]

2. Wild idea: rate payers sue them for destruction et al similar to

the kids suing Exxon for destroying their future.

[Auggie]

3. That's all? I'd call that fine a slap on a wrist.