EDITORIAL: It’s time to consider the future of state’s utilities
They settled on a mechanism -- spreading those costs that could break an investor-owned utility -- that already failed its first test.
It isn't up to state lawmakers to protect
Past performance may not guarantee future results, as they say on
Last year's
Utilities aren't responsible for every major fire -- sparks from a vehicle ignited the Carr fire in
The state's third large investor-owned utility,
So even if a
The risk isn't limited to corporate utilities. Publicly owned utilities, such as the
Fire damage isn't the only cost concern. Fire prevention is expensive, too. One example: There are an estimated 120 million trees to keep trimmed in
There isn't a crisis -- yet.
Before that can change, state lawmakers should conduct a comprehensive review of the state's power generation and distribution system -- how they work, how they're regulated, their fire prevention efforts and how damages are apportioned. Is the current approach still the best one? Is it sustainable?
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