California fines PG&E $7.5M for safety code violations

SAN FRANCISCO - The California Public Utilities Commission issued two citations Monday totaling $7.5 million to Pacific Gas & Electric for safety code violations.   

The largest was a $5 million citation for PG&E's failure to thoroughly inspect the Ignacio-Alto-Sausalito transmission lines from 2009 through 2018 and for its failure to complete 22 high-priority repairs within the time allowed under commission regulations.   

The commission acknowledge that while the company completed correcting deficiencies in April 2020 that had been found on 21 transmission towers in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the work was not done in a timely manner as required.  

 The commission also issued a $2.5 million citation to the utility giant for not completing inspections of nearly 55,000 power poles in 2019 that were required by law.   

The commission directed PG&E to take corrective actions regarding a separate incident with a Cellon-treated pole that occurred in Danville in 2020, when the pole failed in a customer's backyard.