One of my favorite blogs, Legal Insurrection, carries a piece today entitled “As California burned, state politicos headed to Hawaii with utility executives.” They report that during the wildfires that burned in California last year, several state lawmakers were in Hawaii with utility executives from Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). The utility is being blamed for last year’s deadly Camp Fire, the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California’s history. As a result, several PG&E executives, including its CEO, have resigned:
Geisha Williams had been chief executive of Pacific Gas and Electric Co., or PG&E, since March 2017, when she became the first Latina chief executive of a Fortune 500 company. John Simon, the utility’s executive vice president and general counsel, will serve as interim chief executive while PG&E searches for a permanent leader, the company said.
PG&E is in crisis after the Camp Fire killed at least 85 people in Northern California last year. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra told a federal judge last month that the company could be prosecuted for murder.
Furthermore, the utility intends to file for bankruptcy by the end of January due to the potential liability.
The woes continue for PG&E.