With More PG&E Shutoffs Possible, Gov. Demands Improvements

SACRAMENTO, CA — As Bay Area residents prepare for more public safety power shutoffs by Pacific Gas & Electric Co., following a round of chaotic shutoffs earlier this month, Gov. Gavin Newsom is demanding that the utility do a better job communicating its plans this time.

"I expect PG&E to address its failures from the prior PSPS event," Newsom wrote in a letter to PG&E CEO Bill Johnson, released by the governor's office on Tuesday.

The utility has faced criticism for its handling of the shutoffs, as its overloaded website and call center left many customers unsure when they would lose or regain power.

"PG&E's lapse in planning to provide adequate, accurate, and accessible information to its customers and the public was inexcusable," Newsom wrote. "In the same vein, PG&E's communications with local and tribal governments lacked even the most basic elements of emergency management organization."

The governor directed the utility to improve its customer notification systems and step up its coordination with emergency management departments.

The governor has been a frequent critic of PG&E, saying last week that the previous round of shutoffs had been worsened by the utility's "greed and neglect."

Newsom on Tuesday reiterated his call for PG&E to reimburse customers and businesses affected by the last round of shutoffs, although the utility has already said it will not issue any refunds.