PG&E Gets $1.9 Billion Penalty From California for Fires
- It’s the state utility commission’s biggest penalty ever
- Investigators found PG&E didn’t properly maintain power lines
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California regulators approved a $1.9 billion penalty for PG&E Corp. for its role in sparking some of the worst wildfires in state history.
The penalty is the largest ever assessed by the California Public Utilities Commission, whose investigators determined PG&E failed to properly maintain and operate power lines, resulting in blazes that destroyed thousands of homes and killed more than 100 people in 2017 and 2018. The fires led to an estimated $30 billion in claims against PG&E, pushing the company into bankruptcy.