PG&E was slapped with a nearly $2 billion penalty on Thursday for its role in causing several fatal Northern California infernos in 2017 and 2018, the largest financial punishment ever imposed on an American utility.
The state Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously to impose a $1.97 billion penalty on the utility, exceeding the $1.6 billion fine that the PUC imposed — also on PG&E — for causing a fatal explosion in San Bruno.
“This is a record-setting penalty of $1.937 billion,” said PUC Commissioner Clifford Rechtschaffen, who crafted the proposal to penalize PG&E. “The scope of the devastation caused by PG&E’s misconduct demands this record penalty.”