San Francisco Supe Calls For Public Power Amid PG&E Bankruptcy
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – As Pacific Gas & Electric Co. files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, a San Francisco supervisor seeks to jumpstart the process of creating a public utility to replace PG&E in the city.
Supervisor Hillary Ronen introduced the legislation Tuesday, which also calls for the creation of a "Green New Deal" fund.
"In the context of PG&E's potentially criminal role in the deadliest wildfire in US history and their mad scramble now to avoid bankruptcy, I can't think of a better time to be doing this. For years, we have been struggling to take incremental steps to deliver clean, green, public power to San Franciscans, while PG&E has spent millions trying to block us," Ronen said in a statement.
Earlier on Tuesday, PG&E filed for bankruptcy protection as the San Francisco-based utility company potentially faces billions of dollars in liabilities resulting from the massive wildfires in 2017 and 2018.
Ronen wants to secure $15 million from the city's property tax windfall to start the study, purchase and construction of a publicly-owned power grid.
"With the clock ticking on climate change and PG&E's performance getting worse and worse, we can't let them continue to hold us hostage," the supervisor went on to say.