Judge keeps California law on utilities paying fire damages A U.S. bankruptcy court judge has upheld a California law forcing utilities to pay for all damages when their equipment causes wildfiresA federal bankruptcy court judge on Wednesday rejected Pacific Gas & Electric’s latest attempt to change a California law requiring utilities to pay for the devastation from wildfires ignited by their electrical equipment. In addition to using bankruptcy to reorganize its finances, PG&E hoped the process would enable it to shed the burden of inverse condemnation. That raised the specter of California utilities having to shoulder all the costs of future wildfires at a time when the blazes are growing more frequent and destructive amid climate change. The shift in the regulatory landscape has been even more jarring because PG&E and other utilities put off maintenance on aging electrical systems. Montali predicted the California Supreme Court also would spurn any attempt by the utility to skirt the law.

Source: ABC News November 27, 2019 23:03 UTC