EDITORIAL: Coronavirus slowing PG&E's wildfire-prevention work

Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA)

May 27--As if Californians didn't have enough concerns, the pandemic is slowing PG&E's fire-prevention work to a worrisome degree.

The utililty reported in its May 1 earnings statement that COVID-19-related issues "will continue to result in workplace disruptions, both in personnel availability and deployment."

As soaring temperatures set the region on edge, PG&E will go before U.S. District Judge William Alsup this week to report progress on its fire mitigation efforts. The judge gave PG&E a Thursday deadline to submit a detailed plan for hiring a team to check contractors' tree-trimming and vegetation-removal.

Alsup should continue to force PG&E to put safety and reliability before profits. The utility has proven that it can't be trusted. In the last decade, PG&E has been directly responsible for disasters that caused 111 deaths and destroyed tens of thousands of homes.

The utility maintains that the judge's standards are too onerous. It's especially worrisome that PG&E is enlisting U.S. Justice Department help to pressure the judge to loosen the restrictions. Bloomberg News reported last week that federal attorneys argued in a court filing that "the record is comparably thin on evidence" that the judge's orders are "reasonably necessary." The Justice Department filing came only days after President Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to ease regulations on businesses in the wake of the pandemic.

PG&E also argues that the judge's orders may conflict with safety conditions imposed by the California Public Utilities Commission as the utility emerges from bankruptcy proceedings. Some adjustments may be in order. State Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, a frequent critic of PG&E, said Tuesday that the utility has been cooperating with the Legislature and the governor's office to comply with the PUC's safety rules.

PG&E announced in April that CEO Bill Johnson will step down June 30. The utility has also agreed that a new board of directors will be chosen that must be approved by Gov. Gavin Newsom and that a safety monitor will be embedded at PG&E who will actively engage in the utility company's efforts to meet its safety goals. If PG&E fails to meet its safety goals, the PUC can revoke its license and force a state takeover.

By its own admission, as of March 31, PG&E had completed fewer than one-third of its 2020 wildfire mitigation goals, including only 19% of the work to replace poles or bury wires on 241 miles of lines. The utility had finished 32% of its tree-trimming and tree-removal work, but had installed only 9% of the 400 weather stations it needs to measure wind speeds and humidity, and 10 percent of the high-definition cameras to spot wildfires.

The good news is that PG&E has exceeded its goal of acquiring emergency backup generators for communities with the highest risk of having their power shut off for extended periods of time.

The governor and the Legislature have a lot on their plate due to the pandemic. It's also not surprising that the coronavirus is slowing PG&E's wildfire mitigation efforts. But California officials must work in tandem with the judge to ensure that PG&E minimizes the risks of this year's wildfire season.

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