SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – A report in the Wall Street Journal says Pacific Gas & Electric, which is blamed for some of California’s deadliest recent fires, knew for years that its aging power lines posed a wildfire threat but avoided replacing or repairing them.
Wednesday’s report , based on company documents, says PG&E reported in 2017 that more than 100 transmission towers on a century-old line needed repair or replacement.
State fire officials blamed that line for a November fire that wiped out the Northern California town of Paradise and killed 85 people.
PG&E says it disagrees with the Journal’s conclusions but says it’s “taking significant actions to inspect, identify, and fix” safety issues.
PG&E filed for bankruptcy in January out of concern that it might face billions in liability from 2017 and 2018 wildfires.
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7/10/2019 7:53:22 PM (GMT -7:00)
