Utility wildfire liability Senate Bill 492 advances in California; lawmakers to vote

"But we need to make sure the CEOs themselves feel the pain if their equipment causes a fire." SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- California lawmakers are a step closer to an agreement on who should be held responsible when a utility causes a wildfire, after the Governor, Senate and Assembly leaders reached a compromise reflected in Senate Bill 492. According to the California Public Utilities Commission, utilities have caused roughly half of the state's most destructive wildfires. Debate over who should pay for damages from those fires has continued for years. Josh Becker said Senate Bill 492 is intended to increase accountability for utility executives. "We've done a lot in this state, and utilities are investing actually a lot of money for prevention." "But we need to make sure the CEOs themselves feel the pain if their equipment causes a fire," Becker added. Under the bill, executives of utility companies that start a large fire would be ineligible to receive a bonus.

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