Newsom

As California’s three-week streak of preventive power shutoffs and serious wildfires calmed down over the weekend, the political rhetoric and regulatory pushback accelerated, resulting in the naming of a temporary statewide energy czar and Gov. Gavin Newsom calling for a public sector takeover of bankruptcy-mired Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E).

The CEO of California Resources Corp. (CRC), the state’s largest independent, said Gov. Gavin Newsom may push for more oversight of the oil and gas industry, but more stringent rules unlikely would be onerous.

While drawing short of eliminating the state’s strict liability legal doctrine, California Gov. Gavin Newsom last Friday made clear a legislative package and state regulatory reform are coming this year.

The onset of another wildfire season in California is spurring activity in legislative, regulatory and judicial hearing rooms.

Bankruptcy-bound Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) didn’t do enough to head off its alleged liability for a series of wildfires, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday during a one-hour state-of-the-state address, during which he said a “strike team” has been assigned to work with the utility on developing a mitigation plan.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom filled eight energy-related regulatory appointments on Tuesday, including three positions on a new wildfire cost recovery panel.

The dire circumstances surrounding California’s largest energy utility stemming from multi-billion dollar wildfire liabilities continue to consume the attention of the state’s leaders, driving political, financial and regulatory concerns to a fever pitch as the new year gets into full swing.

Taking over a state ravaged by wildfires, California’s new Gov. Gavin Newsom spent his first full day on the job Tuesday addressing stepped-up fire prevention, including joining his counterparts in Oregon and Washington state in asking the Trump administration to double its spending on federal forestlands maintenance.