AP

California utility faces $550M in penalties for 5 wildfires

Dec 16, 2021, 2:48 AM | Updated: 4:50 pm

FILE - A motorists on Highway 101 watches flames from the Thomas fire leap above the roadway north ...

FILE - A motorists on Highway 101 watches flames from the Thomas fire leap above the roadway north of Ventura, Calif., on Dec. 6, 2017. Southern California Edison has reached an agreement with state regulators on Thursday, Dec. 16 2021, for more than half a billion dollars in penalties related to five wildfires, including the Thomas fire. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

(AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)


              FILE - In this Nov. 13, 2018, file photo, Roger Kelton searches through the remains of his mother-in-law's home leveled by the Woolsey fire, in the southern California city of Agoura Hills. Southern California Edison has reached an agreement with state regulators on Thursday, Dec. 16 2021, for more than half a billion dollars in penalties related to five wildfires, including the Woolsey fire. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
            
              FILE - A motorists on Highway 101 watches flames from the Thomas fire leap above the roadway north of Ventura, Calif., on Dec. 6, 2017. Southern California Edison has reached an agreement with state regulators on Thursday, Dec. 16 2021, for more than half a billion dollars in penalties related to five wildfires, including the Thomas fire. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California regulators approved a settlement Thursday placing more than half a billion dollars in fines and penalties on the utility Southern California Edison for its role in five wildfires in 2017 and 2018.

The penalties relate to the Thomas, Woolsey, Rye, Meyers and Liberty fires. The Thomas fire, which burned in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, is the eighth largest fire in California history, burning more than 439 square miles (1,137 square kilometers), according to state fire officials. Meanwhile, the Woolsey Fire that also tore through Ventura County ranks as the eighth most destructive fire in state history, destroying more than 1,600 structures.

Investigations found utility equipment sparked the fires.

Southern California Edison reached the settlement with the California Public Utilities Commission’s safety and enforcement division; it was then approved by the five-member commission.

The utility’s shareholders will pay a $110 million penalty to the state’s general fund and put $65 million toward safety measures, according to the settlement. It also bars the utility from tapping ratepayers to cover $125 million in claims related to insurance for the Thomas Fire and $250 million for the Woolsey Fire.

California has seen increasingly destructive wildfires in recent years, made worse by climate change and drought. Utility equipment has been blamed for sparking some the state’s worst fires.

The CPUC’s safety and enforcement division found the utility violated state safety regulations that govern design, construction and maintenance of overhead electrical lines and communication facilities. State regulators used a relatively new process to reach the agreement with the utility, bypassing a more formal investigation process. It resolves all claims by state regulators related to the fires.

Southern California Edison serves 15 million customers and is one of the state’s three major investor-owned utilities. In signing the agreement, the utility is not admitting any fault.

SCE spokesman Ben Gallagher called the settlement “fair and reasonable.”

He said it “puts one additional uncertainty behind us as the utility continues to implement its comprehensive wildfire risk mitigation measures.”

Safety measures, to which the utility must put $65 million of shareholder money, include things like system enhancements, community engagement and contributions to fire safety-focused nonprofits, according to the agreement.

The Rye Fire sparked in Santa Clarita, the Liberty Fire in Murrieta and the Meyers Fire in San Bernardino County all occurred in early December 2017.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Image: A cargo ship is stuck under the part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after ...

Associated Press

Authorities identify 2 bodies recovered at site of Baltimore bridge collapse

A major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed after a container ship rammed into it early Tuesday, and several vehicles fell into the river below.

1 day ago

Photo: Mountaineer Jim Whittaker has died at 95....

Gene Johnson, The Associated Press

Lou Whittaker, among the most famous American mountaineers, has died at age 95

Lou Whittaker, a legendary American mountaineer who helped lead ascents of Mount Everest, K2 and Denali, has died at age 95.

1 day ago

File photo: Former Sen. Joe Lieberman speaks in Washington on Jan. 18, 2024....

Associated Press

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP pick in 2000, dead at 82

Former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who nearly won the vice presidency on the Democratic ticket with Al Gore in 2000, has died.

1 day ago

islamic state attack...

Vanessa Gera, The Associated Press

What we know after the Islamic State group claims responsibility for Moscow massacre

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed at least 133 people.

4 days ago

Moscow shooting...

The Associated Press

Russia: 60 dead, 145 injured in concert hall raid; Islamic State group claims responsibility

Assailants burst into a concert hall in Moscow on Friday and sprayed the crowd with gunfire, killing over 60 people, injuring more than 100.

6 days ago

Photo: Britain's Kate, Duchess of Cambridge visits 282 (East Ham) Squadron, RAF Air Cadets, Cornwel...

Associated Press

Kate Middleton announces she has cancer, is undergoing chemotherapy

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, says she is undergoing chemotherapy to treat cancer. She has been out of view since Christmas.

6 days ago

California utility faces $550M in penalties for 5 wildfires