PG&E

Group demands Gov. Newsom hold PG&E accountable for fires, blackouts, wild rates

ByLena Howland KGO logo

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Group demands Newsom hold PG&E accountable for fires, blackouts, rates

Reclaim Our Power held a protest at the PG&E conference center as the utility company held a wildfire mitigation conference with Newsom's office.

SAN RAMON, Calif. (KGO) -- A group called Reclaim Our Power held a protest outside of the PG&E San Ramon Conference Center on Tuesday morning, while at the same time, inside, the utility company was holding a conference on wildfire mitigation with regulators from Governor Gavin Newsom's office.

The Reclaim Our Power group says the Governor's Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety was speaking at the PG&E-sponsored conference and they say, this office is responsible for oversight of the utility company, which has caused some of our state's biggest wildfires.

The group is asking these regulators to stop passing the utility's deadly and expensive plans.

MORE: Special meeting to focus on recent skyrocketing natural gas prices in CA

"Reclaim Our Power" group is also calling on Governor Newsom to hold PG&E accountable for the fires, blackouts and increasing rates, saying they can't afford any of it.

"We're here to stand up against that, because PG&E is actually the reason why these fires have been occurring and they haven't been held accountable," Nyah Tisdell, an energy democracy organizer for Reclaim Our Power said.

"We're here to say that they should get their license taken away and that we should be not promoting their plans that have obviously not been working because so many lives have been lost, there's been a lot of destruction."

Ratepayers here were also protesting against recent blackouts and also skyrocketing bills.

They say after every major wildfire PG&E is responsible for, their rates end up going up, and say they should not be the ones footing the bill.

"No governor in California history has done more to hold PG&E accountable and force the company to make fundamental changes," Daniel Villaseñor, Deputy Press Secretary for Newsom said.

MORE: PG&E ramps down workforce ahead of next year's fire season, says it's not 'layoffs': Here's why

"Since the bankruptcy, the Newsom Administration has and will continue to hold PG&E accountable and to push for the institutional changes necessary for PG&E to provide the safe, clean and reliable service that Californians deserve."

ABC7 also reached out to PG&E for a response to Tuesday's protest, but haven't heard back yet.