A single question has framed the start and culmination of California Gov. Gavin Newsom's nearly eight years in office: who ought to pay for devastation caused when utility equipment triggers a wildfire?
Just two days after Newsom won the governorship in 2018, the most destructive wildfire in the state's history erupted in Northern California, killing 85 people and destroying over 18,000 buildings. Investigators traced the cause to Pacific Gas & Electric equipment. Burdened by tens of billions in liability, the massive power provider filed for bankruptcy weeks after Newsom was inaugurated.
