EDITORIAL: Of course PG&E never drew up the wildfire plan required by state law

Dec. 10--There's a fresh reminder that Pacific Gas & Electric and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) can't be counted on to act in the public's interest. As The San Diego Union-Tribune's Jeff McDonald reported Monday, under Senate Bill 1028 -- enacted in September 2016 -- the state's three giant investor-owned utilities were required to produce an annual report detailing efforts to limit the risks from wildfires and specifying who was responsible for implementing safety provisions in the plans. The CPUC in turn was required to review and comment on the plans and audit whether the utilities were in compliance.

But McDonald found that PG&E had never produced such a report and that the CPUC had never pressed the utility for it. Meanwhile, PG&E equipment has been linked to last month's Camp fire in Butte County, which killed at least 85 people in becoming the deadliest blaze in California history. Newly passed legislation -- Senate Bill 901 -- has new rules requiring utilities to disclose their wildfire safety plans by February, and PG&E says it will comply. But a utility with a dark history that includes being found guilty of six felonies in federal court in 2016 for lethally shoddy maintenance practices and a related cover-up simply can't be trusted.

PG&E leaders may not grasp this yet, but the utility isn't just at risk of bankruptcy from wildfire liabilities. Talk of a possible state takeover is emerging. That's drastic. But it's a sign of how little faith there is in PG&E -- and how little faith there is that the CPUC can adequately oversee the utility.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion

___

(c)2018 The San Diego Union-Tribune

Visit The San Diego Union-Tribune at www.sandiegouniontribune.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.