A federal judge is clamping down on PG&E Corp.’s safety practices and expanding oversight of the bankrupt utility, which is facing an estimated $30 billion in damages from wildfires sparked by its electrical lines, WSJ Pro Bankruptcy reported. U.S. District Judge William Alsup didn’t put a dollar figure on what he’s requiring of PG&E if it wants to get back in compliance with the terms of probation for a criminal conviction growing out of an explosion in 2010. In an order filed in federal court in San Francisco, he indicated he would not require safety practices the company had warned could cost upward of $75 billion. Instead, Judge Alsup is requiring PG&E to make good on its own 2019 wildfire safety plan, a set of programs the company estimated will cost between $1.7 billion and $2.3 billion. He did, however, tell PG&E to expect surprise inspections from Mark Filip, a court-appointed monitor charged with reporting on its safety practices. Filip has been watching over PG&E’s natural gas lines. If Judge Alsup’s proposed probation modifications take effect, PG&E’s electrical lines and vegetation management also will be part of his oversight mandate.
