PG&E Reaches Plea Agreement on State Charges Related to 2018 Camp Fire; Reaffirms Commitment to Get Victims Paid Fairly & Qui...
March 23 2020 - 8:44AM
Business Wire
Company Has Significantly Enhanced
Inspections, Vegetation Management and Operations Since the Camp
Fire
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (“PG&E” or the “company”)
today announced it has resolved all state charges related to the
2018 Camp Fire through a plea agreement with the Butte County
District Attorney. Under that agreement, PG&E will plead guilty
to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of
unlawfully starting a fire stemming from the 2018 Camp Fire. The
company will pay the maximum of approximately $4 million in fines
including the expenses related to the District Attorney’s
investigation. In addition, PG&E has agreed to fund efforts to
restore access to water for the next five years for residents
impacted by the loss of the Miocene Canal, which was destroyed by
the fire. This agreement is subject to approval by both the Butte
County Superior Court and the Bankruptcy Court.
PG&E Corporation CEO and President Bill Johnson made the
following statement about the agreement:
“On November 8, 2018, the Camp Fire destroyed
the towns of Paradise and Concow, impacted Magalia and other parts
of Butte County and took the lives of more than 80 people.
Thousands lost their homes and businesses. Many others were forced
to evacuate and leave their lives behind. Our equipment started the
fire. Those are the facts, and with this plea agreement we accept
responsibility for our role in the fire.
We cannot change the devastation or ever
forget the loss of life that occurred. All of us at PG&E deeply
regret this tragedy and the company’s part in it. We have
previously acknowledged our role in the Camp Fire. Since the fire,
we have worked side-by-side with Butte County residents and public
officials to help the Paradise region recover and rebuild. That
work continues today, and we are doing everything we can to make
things right. We cannot replace all that the fire destroyed, but
our hope is that this plea agreement, along with our rebuilding
efforts, will help the community move forward from this tragic
incident.
Today’s charges underscore the reality of all
that was lost, and we hope that accepting those charges helps bring
more certainty to the path forward so we can get victims paid
fairly and quickly. PG&E previously reached settlements with
all groups of victims from wildfires in 2015, 2017 and 2018,
totaling approximately $25.5 billion. This amount includes payment
for all claims from individuals impacted by the Camp Fire and
reimbursement for claims by Butte County agencies. We are working
diligently to get our Plan of Reorganization approved by the
Bankruptcy Court as soon as possible, so that we can get victims
paid.
The action we took today is an important step
in taking responsibility for the past and working to create a
better future for all concerned. We want wildfire victims, our
customers, our regulators and leaders to know that the lessons we
learned from the Camp Fire remain a driving force for us to
transform this company. We have changed and enhanced our inspection
and operational protocols to help make sure this doesn’t happen
again. Every single day, we have thousands of dedicated employees
who are working diligently to harden the system, reduce the risk of
wildfire and help deliver safe, reliable energy to our customers.
We will emerge from Chapter 11 as a different company prepared to
serve California for the long term.”
Since the 2018 Camp Fire, PG&E has taken many additional
safety actions and implemented a risk-based, comprehensive approach
to reduce wildfire risks including enhanced inspections of the
company’s electric system, additional vegetation management and new
operational protocols with short-, medium- and long-term plans to
make its system safer. PG&E’s goal is to help keep customers
and communities safe across its service territory, including those
in Butte County. You can find out more about those safety
investments and improvements here.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas
and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San
Francisco, with more than 23,000 employees, the company delivers
some of the nation's cleanest energy to 16 million people in
Northern and Central California. For more information, visit
pge.com and pge.com/news.
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