PG&E Power Outage: CEO Bill Johnson apologizes, responds to criticism of Public Safety Power Shutoff

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- PG&E CEO Bill Johnson answered questions on Thursday and apologized for the Public Safety Power Shutoff to 800,000 customers.

During a news conference he promised if future wind events require similar shut-offs, the utility will do better'' at communicating with customers. It's unacceptable that its website crashed, maps were inconsistent and call centers were overloaded, Johnson said.

"We were not adequately prepared,'' he said.

RELATED: Questions mount about PG&E's choices for CEO and board directors

Johnson took over as CEO in May after spending seven years as head of the Tennessee Valley Authority, a federally-owned electricity corporation. Last year, Johnson raked in $8.1 million, making him the highest paid federal employee.

PG&E began looking for a new CEO in July, when Geisha Williams stepped down, right before the utility filed for bankruptcy.

For the latest stories about PG&E's Public Safety Power Shutoff go here.

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