Catherine Sandoval spoke with KUOW-FM (NPR news) about the failure of PG&E to prevent their equipment from starting the Dixie Fire. She was also quoted in an Associated Press article and by the Anderson Valley Advertiser about PG&E’s five years on federal probation ending. U.S. District Judge William Alsup has said that, during the company’s probabtion, PG&E went on a crime spree “and will emerge from probation as a continuing menace to California”.
Catherine Sandoval, an energy professor at Santa Clara University and a former California power regulator, believes Alsup was far too hard on himself, although she agrees PG&E hasn’t proven it should be freed from supervision. She blames federal prosecutors for backing off an attempt to extend PG&E’s probation because “there appears to be no binding case law on this point,” according to the U.S. attorney’s report.
“If there was ever a test case for whether a company’s probation can be extended, PG&E is it,” Sandoval said. She also unsuccessfully fought to hold a hearing to extend the utility’s probation in 58-page brief filed with Alsup earlier this month.
