Potential PG&E Bankruptcy Shakes Up California Politics, Emissions Goals

KCBS Radio In Depth

The future of California’s largest utility was thrown into question this week as it emerged that Pacific Gas and Electric is planning to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The math isn’t hard to figure out: PG&E could be on the hook for the immense financial costs associated with the devastating wildfires that have strurck California over the last two year with potential liabilities now estimated in the tens of billions of dollars. But what’s less clear is how this massive shakeup in California’s energy sector will unfold as the bankruptcy proceeds.

On this edition of In Depth we’re going to try to get a handle on what consequences the bankruptcy could have on two fronts: First, what will it mean for California politics as lawmakers untangle a web of challenges? And then we’ll look at growing concern among clean energy developers that the bankruptcy could throw California off its aggressive clean energy targets.

Host: Keith Menconi, KCBS Radio reporter

Guests:

• Doug Sovern, KCBS Radio political reporter
• Sammy Roth, energy reporter for the Los Angeles Times
• Ralph Cavanagh, Energy Co-Director for the Climate and Clean Energy Program with the Natural Resources Defense Council