Top Utility Regulator Tasked With Overseeing Troubled PG&E Resigns

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CBS13/AP) — California’s apical inferior regulator announced Tuesday she’ll measurement down astatine the extremity of the year, leaving Gov. Gavin Newsom searching for caller enactment arsenic the authorities continues to grapple with devastating wildfires and the menace of powerfulness blackouts.

Marybel Batjer announced her resignation successful an email to unit astatine the California Public Utilities Commission. Newsom, a Democrat, appointed her to the occupation successful 2019 arsenic Pacific Gas & Electric was successful bankruptcy proceedings, and her word was acceptable to tally done the extremity of 2026.

READ MORE: Identity Thieves Targeting K-12 Schools At An Alarming Rate

She did not supply a crushed for her aboriginal departure, saying successful her connection that it was a hard determination “in the look of a changing clime and planetary pandemic.”

The CPUC is 1 of the astir important regulatory bodies successful the state, peculiarly arsenic California deals with devastating wildfires sparked by inferior instrumentality and the expanding usage of intentional powerfulness shutoffs to forestall instrumentality from sparking further fires. Beyond electrical utilities, the committee oversees telecommunications, water, rail, and proscription companies specified arsenic Uber and Lyft.

Pacific Gas & Electric Co., the state’s largest investor-owned utility, filed for bankruptcy successful 2019 and overmuch of Batjer’s tenure has focused connected stepping up oversight of the troubled utility. The institution pleaded blameworthy to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter related to the 2018 Camp Fire that wiped retired astir of Paradise and was sparked by its equipment. It besides faces galore transgression charges for fires caused by its fraying equipment, including four charges of manslaughter charged past week.

The CPUC approved a program successful 2020 for the inferior to exit bankruptcy that included greater oversight. In April, the committee said the institution was falling abbreviated connected vegetation absorption and required it to statesman submitting corrective enactment reports each 90 days. PG&E has filed paperwork indicating its instrumentality whitethorn beryllium liable for the massive Dixie Fire, which sparked this summer.

The inferior besides remains nether the supervision of a national judge who is overseeing PG&E’s transgression probation for a felony condemnation aft the utility’s state lines blew up portion of a suburban vicinity successful the San Francisco Bay Area successful 2010.

READ MORE: Carmichael Man Charlie Ramos Wanted On Suspicion Of Kidnapping His 2 Sons

The CPUC has faced disapproval for being excessively lax with the utilities it regulates.

The Center for Biological Diversity criticized Batjer connected Tuesday for failing to clasp utilities accountable and not doing capable to assistance the authorities modulation to renewable energy.

“Batjer’s departure is an accidental to name a inferior regulator who volition really clasp PG&E and different utilities accountable for their soiled vigor choices and grid failures,” Jean Su, manager of the center’s Energy Justice Program, said successful a statement.

Batjer is 1 of 5 commissioners. She was antecedently caput of the Government Operations Agency nether Newsom and erstwhile Gov. Jerry Brown. Newsom besides tasked her with modernizing the Department of Motor Vehicles arsenic it faced agelong lines and errors successful the state’s automatic elector registration system.

She was antecedently a furniture caput to then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and undersecretary of the California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. She besides worked successful Nevada authorities authorities and for Caesars Entertainment Inc.

MORE NEWS: 2 Juveniles Arrested After Mother, Son Found Critically Injured In Elverta

Newsom volition name a caller committee president who indispensable beryllium confirmed by the authorities Legislature. His bureau said he’ll determine connected a replacement by the extremity of the year.