The California State Senate passed legislation that would allow the state’s investor-owned utilities to pass through the costs of wildfires to ratepayers.

Trees contacting Pacific Gas and Electric distribution lines caused four Northern California wildfires last year that burned about 9,400 acres, state investigators said.

FERC rejected a request for rehearing by several Pacific Gas and Electric transmission customers.

The financial implications of last year's California wildfires for PG&E are just beginning to surge as the utility works to reduce the impact on shareholders.

A bill that would allow utilities to recover wildfire costs if they conform to state-regulated safety plans moved through the California legislature, but it faces opposition from some who say it lets utilities off the hook.

Pacific Gas and Electric will pay $98 million for past improper communications with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), but the years-old ex parte proceeding stemming from the controversy will continue to drag on because of new emails that came to light last fall.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will vote later this month on a $98 million settlement agreement regarding its own ex parte communications with PG&E.

California’s three investor-owned utilities asked state officials to protect bundled customers from being saddled with expensive long-term renewable contracts.

CAISO, Pacific Gas and Electric and Calpine have settled their differences over the terms of the reliability-must-run (RMR) agreements.

Susan Kennedy, a former California utilities regulator and political insider, has been fined after state investigators determined that she failed to register as a lobbyist.