Furious CA Gov Vows To Punish Utility For Wildfires

Courthouse News reports:

California Governor Gavin Newsom excoriated the state’s largest utility provider Friday after touring the charred remnants in the path of an uncontrolled wildfire that many suspect was started by equipment negligence. Newsom said greed, decades of mismanagement and a continual prioritization of executive bonuses and shareholder dividends over the safety of PG & E’s grid has led to a crisis in the state, where wildfires burn and residents make do without power for days at a time.

“It took us decades to get here,” Newsom said during a press conference. “Make no mistake, we will get out of this mess and when we do we will hold PG&E accountable to a degree they have not been held to before.” Newsom said the state was not currently considering making a bid for the utility that is currently mired in bankruptcy – but did not rule out such a proceeding in the future.