PG&E workers union says judge’s wildfire prevention plan is ‘impossible’

The largest union representing Pacific Gas & Electric employees said a judge’s proposed wildfire prevention plan is impossible to implement, citing its costs and inadequate staffing.

In a proposed order for which he sought comment from various parties, U.S. District Judge William Alsup has called for a full inspection of PG&E’s power system in five months, more extensive tree trimming and power shut-offs in fire-prone areas.

That would require tens of thousands of additional electrical inspectors and billions of dollars in expenses, neither of which are available, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1245 wrote in a court filing Friday. The union represents 12,000 of PG&E’s 20,000 or so employees.

The union’s response echoed PG&E’s position in a filing on Wednesday that the plan is infeasible. Alsup oversees the utility’s probation imposed as part of its conviction on charges stemming from the 2010 San Bruno gas pipeline explosion, and has recently sought to broaden his oversight to include the operation of the company’s electrical network.

Alsup’s proposal “is draconian,” said Tom Dalzell, business manager of Local 1245. “This is just so far off what could be done.”

Dalzell said California’s Public Utilities Commission and the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection are better suited to develop a fire prevention plan for PG&E. The two state agencies didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

PG&E, which already had a worker shortage, hired 600 contractor electrical linemen in late 2018 at the cost of around $15,000 per lineman per week, including overtime pay, according to the union’s filing.

PG&E’s power system encompasses about 125,000 miles of power lines, 2.3 million distribution poles and 150,000 transmission towers and poles. The company notified employees this month that it could file for bankruptcy protection next week.