On Tuesday Governor Gavin Newsom got the meeting he wanted with the chief executive officer at troubled Pacific Gas & Electric to mediate the company's bankruptcy case. It was last week that the Governor called for the meeting, which also included representatives of the utility's shareholders, bondholders, and victims of wildfires blamed on the utility.
PG&E CEO Bill Johnson and other top officials met with Newsom in Sacramento. The Governor's office said that during the meeting Newsom again made focused on the widespread frustration with PG&E, and he urged all the stakeholders to find a way to resolve the bankruptcy before next year's wildfire season comes around.
Customers have been angry with PG&E's planned power outages that have left millions of Californians without electricity during windy weather, as the utility tries to prevent downed powerlines from starting new wildfires. Johnson said he understands the shutoffs have caused hardships, but also insisted that they were successful in preventing catastrophic wildfires.