Additionally, the courts need to “balance the public benefit of the electrical infrastructure with the harm caused to private property.”
Furthermore, the proposal says that courts must consider factors that contributed to the wildfire and “shall reflect the utilities proportionate fault” in the award of damages.
Moreover, Brown proposed doubling the penalty for utility companies that do not comply with the state’s safety rules. At present, the maximum penalty per violation is $50,000.
“Now more than ever, Californians depend on reliable electrical power to heat and cool homes, run hospitals and fire stations, and so much more,” Brown said in his letter to state legislators. “Yet the increasingly destructive and costly wildfires and natural disasters have the potential to undermine this system, leaving our energy sector in a state of weakness at a time when it should be making even greater investments in safety.
The governor’s proposal will apply to wildfires that occur after January 1, 2018.
Critics Slam the Governor’s Proposal as a “Bailout” for Utility Companies
On Wednesday, critics slammed Brown’s proposal as a “bailout” for utility companies such as PG&E, which caused disasters in the past.
