Lafayette Mayor Anderson Writes CPUC Seeking Reimbursement For PSPS Power Outage and Fire Costs

From the City of Lafayette:

At the direction of the City Council, Lafayette Mayor Mike Anderson sent a letter yesterday, November 19, 2019, to the President of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), Marybel Batjer, seeking reimbursement for costs the city incurred during Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events and Lafayette wildfires caused by downed PG&E lines in October. In addition to President Batjer, the Mayor’s letter was also sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom, PG&E CEO William Johnson, and others.    

In his letter, Mayor Anderson asks the CPUC to direct PG&E to reimburse the City of Lafayette for $26,000 in costs related to the PSPS events and to-be-determined costs associated with the October 27, 2019 fires that caused 800 homes in Lafayette to be evacuated.

The Mayor also underscored in his letter the detrimental impact PSPS events have on Lafayette’s local businesses and asks the CPUC to demand a long-term corrective plan from PG&E that will counteract the need for future power shutoffs. In seeking reimbursement, the Mayor requests the CPUC to order PG&E to reimburse California cities for their PSPS-related costs and to also develop a cost recovery policy for all cities as part of the PSPS program.