We’re living in the new California reality of catastrophic wildfires and weeks of forced power outages. So, how did we get here? A panel hosted by Operation Sierra Storm at South Lake Tahoe brought together leaders of Cal Fire’s new Wildfire Resilience Program, PG&E and the National Weather Service to discuss just that and what to expect in 2020....

For two years running , California’s wildfires have sent plumes of smoke across Silicon Valley. So far, that hasn’t spurred much tech innovation aimed at addressing extreme-weather disasters associated with climate change. It’s true that tech companies from enterprise software-maker Salesforce to financial-technology firm Stripe have pushed to dramatically reduce their climate impact. Individual investors and small investment firms have stepped in to...

A state lawmaker on Wednesday demanded an extensive review of the California Public Utilities Commission to determine whether regulators’ lax oversight enabled neglect at Pacific Gas & Electric that triggered catastrophic wildfires, a messy bankruptcy and exasperating blackouts. The request by Assemblyman Adam Gray could turn up the heat on the commission as it prepares to play a key role…

Federal officials are prepared to bill wildfire victims for a portion of the nearly $4 billion the government says it’s owed by Pacific Gas & Electric Co., if the debt isn’t resolved as part of the utility’s bankruptcy case, according to a newspaper report Sunday. Pete Suratos reports.

Federal officials are prepared to bill wildfire victims for a portion of the nearly $4 billion the government says it’s owed by Pacific Gas & Electric Co., if the debt isn’t resolved as part of the utility’s bankruptcy case, according to a newspaper report Sunday.

PG&E has told a regulatory judge that it could save over $500 million in taxes as part of a deal with California state regulators.

PG&E has told a regulatory judge that it could save over $500 million in taxes as part of a deal with California state regulators.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to hire more state firefighters and make homes safer from devastating wildfires in the budget he will send to state lawmakers on Friday. The 555 additional full-time firefighters would be hired over five years, his office told The Associated Press, augmenting the 4,800 current permanent firefighters by about 12%. The state also hires about 2,400…

Increasingly intense wildfires that have scorched forests from California to Australia are stoking worry about long-term health impacts from smoke exposure in affected cities and towns.

A financial tug-of-war is emerging over the $13.5 billion that the nation’s largest utility has agreed to pay to victims of recent California wildfires, as government agencies jockey for more than half the money to cover the costs of their response to the catastrophes. Pacific Gas & Electric declared bankruptcy nearly a year ago as it faced about $36 billion…

California regulators said Tuesday that they have streamlined the state’s permit process to make it faster to approve tree-thinning projects designed to slow massive wildfires that have devastated communities in recent years. The state Board of Forestry and Fire Protection approved a vegetation management program based on more than a decade of analysis of the potential environmental damage from...

Critics are calling on the state Public Utilities Commission to reject a proposed $1.68 billion wildfire regulatory settlement with PG&E, saying it effectively gives the utility “a get out of jail free card’’ for safety violations. They also note the agreement does not include require PG&E to pay a single penny in actual fines.

More than a million California homes are now protected under a new law that temporarily bans insurance companies from dropping customers in areas affected by recent wildfires, officials announced Wednesday. Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara issued a moratorium earlier this month covering about 800,000 homes affected by recent wildfires. Lara extended those protections this week to more than 200,000 additional homes in...

A federal judge has ordered Pacific Gas & Electric to account for what it knew about the risk of worn hooks on its system in light of a 1987 internal report of tests showing a risk of premature failure in worn hooks taken off its electric transmission towers – hooks similar to the one blamed for the massive and deadly Camp Fire.

A federal bankruptcy judge in San Francisco on Tuesday approved two settlements totaling $24.5 billion between PG&E and victims of North Bay wildfires in 2017 and 2018 that were caused by failures in PG&E electrical equipment.

A federal bankruptcy judge in San Francisco on Tuesday approved two settlements totaling $24.5 billion between PG&E and victims of North Bay wildfires in 2017 and 2018 that were caused by failures in PG&E electrical equipment.

Buzzing chainsaws are interrupted by the frequent crash of breaking branches as crews fell towering trees and clear tangled brush in the densely forested Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Francisco. Their goal: To protect communities such as Redwood Estates, where giant redwoods loom over the houses of tech workers who live in the wooded community just 20 miles from…

Friday marks the deadline for California Gov. Gavin Newsom to give a thumbs up or thumbs down for PG&E’s multi-billion dollar settlement with victims of recent wildfires. Bob Redell reports.

Friday marks the deadline for California Gov. Gavin Newsom to give a thumbs up or thumbs down for PG&E’s multi-billion dollar settlement with victims of recent wildfires. If Newsom does not give his approval, PG&E will have to revise the settlement or the settlement will be terminated. Last week, the utility announced it reached a $13.5 billion agreement with...

The federal judge overseeing PG&E’s probation over regulatory violations has ordered the utility to answer more questions about the worn C-hook that failed and sparked the Camp Fire last year as a follow-up to PG&E’s release of damaged hooks.