PG&E Put in Hot Seat by Judge Over Fire Hazard From Power Lines
- Judge queries prosecutors on danger of uninsulated conductors
- Utility to install new lines in 7,000 miles of high-risk areas
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A federal judge probing whether PG&E Corp. was criminally negligent in causing some Northern California wildfires is asking prosecutors whether uninsulated power lines are the root of the problem.
If U.S. District Judge William Alsup is correct that sparks from uncovered lines running through rural areas with dense vegetation pose “an extreme danger of igniting a wildfire,” that could spell more trouble for the embattled company as prosecutors scrutinize whether it broke the law through reckless operation of the electric grid.