"PG&E as we know it cannot persist and continue. It has to be completely transformed-culturally transformed, operationally transformed, with a safety culture first and foremost."
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ABC7 SPECIAL: 'Fire, Power, Wind: What Now?'
Newsom will convene a task force in the hopes of working jointly with PG&E and the Federal Bankruptcy Court to speed up the hardening of the system's 25,000 miles of lines to ensure they can withstand the high winds that have become a fact of life in California.
He also wants better planning on blackouts if they are needed to prevent fires.
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If the utility can't make the grade, Newsom said he is open to other options including a takeover of the company's lines by cities and counties in the affected areas.
None of the options, however, would be easy-- and all would carry a hefty price tag.
And all of this is playing out as the clock starts ticking on yet another fire season that will return next year-- and with it, many of the same dangers the state has just experienced.