Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric are both facing customer lawsuits over the latest massive fires to hit California.
Mark Toney, Executive Director of the Utility Reform Network, says rate payers should not be stuck for the cost of lawsuits settled against giant utilities for their culpability in the start of wildfires.
”If they’re not able to maintain it properly, if they violate safety regulations, it’s absolutely critical that the shareholders pay, not the customers. They’re the ones that reap the benefits of the profits year after year after year.”
Toney says the solution is to get Governor-elect Gavin Newsom to sign a bill — like the one proposed by State Senator Jerry Hill and already approved last year by the legislature — but vetoed by Governor Brown – to protect the ratepayers.
Mark Toney was guest on McIntyre in the Morning.
By Sandy Wells
KABC News
