PG&E Statement on Company’s Guilty Plea Related to 2018 Camp Fire
June 16 2020 - 3:46PM
Business Wire
Plea Entered Today in Butte County Superior
Court
PG&E today entered its plea in Butte County Superior Court
related to its role in the 2018 Camp Fire. In accordance with the
agreement PG&E reached in March 2020 with the Butte County
District Attorney, the company pleaded guilty to 84 counts of
involuntary manslaughter and one count of unlawfully starting a
fire.
The following statement was delivered today in court by PG&E
Corporation CEO and President Bill Johnson.
“I am here today on behalf of the 23,000 men
and women of PG&E, to accept responsibility for the fire here
that took so many lives and changed these communities forever.
I have heard the pain and the anguish of
victims as they’ve described the loss they continue to endure, and
the wounds that can’t be healed. No words from me could ever reduce
the magnitude of such devastation or do anything to repair the
damage. But I hope that the actions we are taking here today will
help bring some measure of peace.
Our equipment started the fire that destroyed
the towns of Paradise and Concow and severely burned Magalia and
other parts of Butte County. That fire took the lives of 85 people.
Thousands lost their homes and businesses, and many others were
forced to evacuate under horrific circumstances.
I wish there were some way to take back what
happened or take away the pain of those who’ve suffered. But I know
there’s not.
What I can say is this: First, PG&E will
never forget the Camp Fire and all that it took from this region.
We remain deeply, deeply sorry for the terrible devastation we have
caused.
Second, since the Camp Fire, we have worked
side-by-side with Butte County residents and public officials to
help the Paradise region recover and rebuild. That work continues
today, and we are doing everything we can to make things right.
Third, we are working hard to get the victims
compensated. With our Plan of Reorganization on track to be
approved by June 30, their wait may finally be nearing an end. In
fact, the Bankruptcy Court has concluded confirmation hearings
regarding our Plan. This should be one of the final steps toward
paying the $25.5 billion in settlements we’ve reached with wildfire
victims, Butte County agencies and others.
Finally, I want to reiterate to the Court and
all of the people of the Paradise region that the lessons PG&E
learned from the Camp Fire are being taken to heart and are driving
comprehensive changes currently underway at PG&E.
We are intently focused on reducing the risk
of wildfire in our communities. We have improved our inspection and
operational protocols. We are hardening our energy system and
making it more resilient. We have incorporated advanced technology
to better predict and detect extreme weather conditions. All of
this, and more, is being done to help make sure the tragedy that
occurred here never happens again, in any of the communities we
serve.
In closing, I want to reiterate that on
behalf of PG&E, I apologize for the pain we have caused. We
know we cannot replace all that the fire destroyed. We do hope that
by pleading guilty and accepting accountability, by compensating
victims and supporting rebuilding efforts, and by making
significant, lasting changes in the way we operate, we can honor
those who were lost and help this community move forward.
Your Honor, we make this plea with sadness
and regret—and with eyes open to what happened, and to what we must
do to make things right.”
About PG&E Corporation
PG&E Corporation is a holding company headquartered in San
Francisco. It is the parent company of Pacific Gas and Electric
Company (the “Utility”), an energy company that serves 16 million
Californians across a 70,000-square-mile service area in Northern
and Central California. Each of PG&E Corporation and the
Utility is a separate entity, with distinct creditors and
claimants, and is subject to separate laws, rules and regulations.
For more information, visit http://www.pgecorp.com. In this news
release, they are together referred to as "PG&E."
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