Outrage Builds Over Bills That Would Shift Cost Of Wildfires From PG&E

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — State lawmakers are considering allowing PG&E to pass on some of its liability cost to customers. It's a high-stakes issue as the utility faces lawsuits from last falls wine country wildfires.

There are two proposed bills going through the state Capitol that some say would allow PG&E to get out of paying for the damage and would pass on the cost of the 2017 fires and future fires to ratepayers.

"I don't want to pay for their mistakes I don't think you do either," said Erin Brockovich.

More than a dozen of the deadly wildfires that whipped through wine country were ignited by PG&E's fallen power lines.

"So frustrating and communities are exhausted," said Brockovich.

Residents who lost their homes now feel they're taking another hit.

"I'm literally paying for my own recovery, that doesn't make any sense. I didn't set the fire," said one homeowner.

Made famous by an Oscar-winning film about her work fighting PG&E, environmental activist Erin Brockovich has now joined the legal team suing the utility company.

"I hope the state stops enabling their behavior," she said.

There are two state bills in question. The first is Senate Bill 1088 that deals with the liability of future fires. It would make utility companies come up with an approved safety plan, and as long as they are substantially compliant with it, they are not responsible for the fire damage their equipment may cause. Instead, they can pass along that cost to customers.

"That's a backdoor deal that they hope will give them a pass- they take no responsibility, no accountability but we the people of California will get the rate hike and it will get passed on to us or the state," she said.

The second is Assembly Bill 33. This one deals only with the 2017 fires. It would allow PG&E to use state bond funding to pay its liability. But ratepayers would ultimately secure those bonds.

"It's about time that people stand up to PG&E and tell them that this is not acceptable and that Californians will not pay for the cost of their misdeeds," said former State Sen. Noreen Evans.

A spokesperson for PG&E said "PG&E supports the language introduced by Assemblymember Bill Quirk. As written, Assembly Bill 33 proposes a solution that would provide relief to victims of the 2017 wildfires, without passing along a significant financial burden to electric customers. This measure relies upon an established industry practice of issuing securitization bonds, and requires the bond structure to be reviewed and approved by the California Public Utilities Commission. The measure does not absolve PG&E from responsibility. Instead, it takes a balanced, common sense approach that will protect electric customers, the communities PG&E serves and our state's clean energy future."

State lawmakers could vote on the two proposed bills by the end of August.