Specialist
Former VP, at Pacific Gas and Electric Co (PG&E)
Agenda
- Damages to utilities caused by the 2018 California wildfires, highlighting the most severely affected players and legal and regulatory ramifications
- California Public Utilities Commission's (CPUC's) approach to damages to utilities and regulations
- Outlook, considering historical wildfires, liability to public utilities in California and what was done to address liability claims
Questions
1.
What’s your take on key developments regarding PG&E and overview of the California wildfire situation?
2.
Could you break down the corporate structure for PG&E and highlight where the assets lie, particularly those affected by the wildfires and the read-throughs this could give us with the bankruptcy filing?
3.
Going forward, what potential is there for PG&E to divest or separate some of those components?
4.
Do you see state ownership of PG&E as a viable option?
5.
Switching to the regulatory side of things, what’s your view on rejecting power purchase agreements (PPAs)? How damaging would that be to California's renewable effort?
6.
What are the liabilities and legal ramifications that PG&E face from the Camp Fire stand alone. How does that complicate the 2017 fire liability?
7.
Is there any historical data for what the CPUC stress test process could look like?
8.
What do you make of the comparisons of the PG&E issue and the Enron crisis? Is it even a comparison to make at all?
9.
If we assume that PG&E will go bankrupt, then, on top of that, the elimination of the certificate of public convenience and necessity for PG&E, who would be providing electric service?
10.
Is there anything that's taken by PG&E on wildfire safety measures and forest management that was different to when you were there?
11.
On the flip side, how specific does the CPUC want fire-mitigation plans to be?
12.
In terms of what PG&E is doing, and what the CPUC wants it to achieve, do you think it's in line? Where will PG&E have to measure up and put more efforts in terms of implementing or putting the plans in order?
13.
Do you have any general insight into the ability of Californian utilities to obtain fire insurance?
14.
Roughly what would it cost to implement transmission distribution lines with lower risk, or that are fireproof, per se?
15.
Generally in California, what are some of the ways to reduce wildfire risks? What are some of the solutions and challenges of bringing these solutions to municipalities?
16.
Is there anything we've missed that you would like to point out?
17.
On PG&E's PPA with its renewable partners, do you think these PPAs are likely to be rejected and renegotiated in bankruptcy?
18.
Is there any likelihood that the state makes an exception to the inverse condemnation laws?
19.
What’s your outlook for the space in the next 12-18 months? What should we keep an eye out for?
