The utility company said two years ago it would bury 10,000 line miles to prevent wildfires, but regulators now balk at proposed rate increases to pay for the work.
PG&E multi-year commitment to mitigation comes as it admits role in Dixie Fire start; effort could cost post-bankruptcy public firm $15-$20B and one research analyst notes high feasibility and permitting risks.
PG&E filed Camp fire pact as part of its bankruptcy restructuring, which includes new mitigation strategies for the 2020 wildfire season such as community microgrids.
Records of utility, contractors and others are sought in a widening investigation stemming from federal criminal charges filed against the city's public works director.
After the latest distressing round of California wildfires and blackouts, more needs to be done to improve, not just rebuild, the aged power grid now recognized as causing some of the fires.
As wildfire warnings continue to race through California, utility giants PG&E and Southern California Edison (SCE) are stepping up their fire-risk mitigation plans for workers to harden infrastructure and manage vegetation.
