File image of PG&E logo.
PG&E has agreed to pay a $1.7 million fine for failing to promptly alert nearly 150,000 customers that they were going to be hit by public safety shutoffs in 2021, according to terms of a settlement deal approved by regulators Thursday.
CPUC regulators have repeatedly blasted the state’s private utilities for chaotic shutoffs designed to prevent fires touched off in high winds. They argue while they limit fire risk, shutoffs also cause “risks and hardships” and can potentially jeopardize public safety.
Regulators have imposed standards requiring utilities to not only provide a general advance notice but follow up with specific notice to customers about to lose power at least an hour beforehand.
The $1.7 million fine that will be paid to the state – approved Thursday under the CPUC consent agenda – covers five separate shutoffs. One lasted three days in January 2021, another covered three days in August, followed by a two-day shutoff in September and two outages over a five-day period in October.
PG&E does not dispute the allegations it failed to properly notify nearly 150,000 customers. It blamed many of the lapses, however, on a now-defunct internal policy that barred it from notifying customers during “courtesy” hours between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. The utility also cited rapidly shifting weather patterns and glitches with alert system technology.
The latest action comes after PG&E already paid a price for alert system lapses back in 2020. Regulators originally sought a $12 million fine for failing to alert thousands of customers about a total of seven shutoffs. The utility appealed and ultimately settled on a $500,000 regulatory fine and a payment of $7.5 million to cover the costs of an independent safety monitor over a three-year period.
PG&E said power shutoffs are a “tool of last resort” that have helped “significantly” reduce fire risk since 2018. The penalties assessed by regulators, it says “reflect PG&E’s failure to notify, or timely notify, some customers before, during, or after a PSPS and to provide links to our post-event reports.”
The utility said it has “addressed these issues and continues to make improvements to our PSPS program to ensure customers have the information and support they need before, during and after a safety shutoff.”
PG&E says fines and penalties are paid by stockholders and are not added into customers’ bills.
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