SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2019

On July 12, 2019, the California Governor signed into law AB 1054, a bill which provides for the establishment of a statewide fund that will be available for eligible electric utility companies to pay eligible claims for liabilities arising from wildfires occurring after July 12, 2019 that are caused by the applicable electric utility company’s equipment, subject to the terms and conditions of AB 1054. Eligible claims are claims for third party damages resulting from any such wildfires, limited to the portion of such claims that exceeds the greater of (i) $1.0 billion in the aggregate in any calendar year and (ii) the amount of insurance coverage required to be in place for the electric utility company pursuant to Section 3293 of the Public Utilities Code, added by AB 1054.

Each of California’s large investor-owned electric utility companies that are not currently subject to Chapter 11 (Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric Company) has elected to participate in the Wildfire Fund to be established under AB 1054. On July 23, 2019, the Utility notified the CPUC of its intent to participate in the Wildfire Fund (which participation is subject to the conditions set forth in AB 1054, including those conditions outlined below).

The Wildfire Fund to be established under AB 1054 will be available for eligible electric utility companies to pay eligible claims for liabilities arising from wildfires occurring after July 12, 2019 that are caused by the applicable electric utility company’s equipment. Electric utility companies that draw from the fund will only be required to repay amounts that are determined by the CPUC in an application for cost recovery not to be just and reasonable, subject to a rolling three-year disallowance cap equal to 20% of the electric utility company’s transmission and distribution equity rate base. For the Utility, this disallowance cap is expected to be approximately $2.3 billion for the three-year period starting in 2019, subject to adjustment based on changes in the Utility’s total transmission and distribution equity rate base. The disallowance cap is inapplicable in certain circumstances, including if the Wildfire Fund administrator determines that the electric utility company’s actions or inactions that resulted in the applicable wildfire constituted “conscious or willful disregard for the rights and safety of others,” or the electric utility company fails to maintain a valid safety certification. Costs that the CPUC determines to be just and reasonable will not need to be repaid to the fund, resulting in a draw-down of the fund.

The Wildfire Fund and disallowance cap will be terminated when the amounts therein are exhausted. The Wildfire Fund is expected to be capitalized with (i) $10.5 billion of proceeds of bonds supported by a 15-year extension of the Department of Water Resources charge to ratepayers, (ii) $7.5 billion in initial contributions from California’s three investor-owned electric utility companies and (iii) $300 million in annual contributions paid by California’s three investor-owned electric utility companies. The contributions from the investor-owned electric utility companies will be effectively borne by their respective shareholders, as they will not be permitted to recover these costs from ratepayers. The costs of the initial and annual contributions are allocated among the three investor-owned electric utility companies pursuant to a “Wildfire Fund allocation metric” set forth in AB 1054 based on land area in the applicable utility’s service territory classified as high fire threat districts and adjusted to account for risk mitigation efforts. The Utility’s initial Wildfire Fund allocation metric is expected to be 64.2% (representing an initial contribution of approximately $4.8 billion and annual contributions of approximately $193 million). In addition, all initial and annual contributions will be excluded from the measurement of the Utility’s authorized capital structure.

AB 1054 provides that the Wildfire Fund will be established when Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric Company provide their initial contributions.

In order to participate in the Wildfire Fund, within 60 days of the effective date of AB 1054, the Utility must obtain the Bankruptcy Court’s approval of the Utility’s election to pay the initial and annual Wildfire Fund contributions upon emergence from Chapter 11. The Utility would then be required to pay its share of the initial contribution to the Wildfire Fund upon emergence from Chapter 11, and meet certain eligibility requirements listed below, in order to participate in the Wildfire Fund. In such event (assuming the Utility satisfies the eligibility and other requirements set forth in AB 1054), the Wildfire Fund will be available to the Utility to pay for eligible claims arising between the effective date of AB 1054 and the Utility’s emergence from Chapter 11, subject to a limit of 40% of the amount of such claims. The balance of any such claims would need to be addressed through the Chapter 11 Cases. There are several additional eligibility requirements for the Utility, including that by June 30, 2020, the following conditions are satisfied:


•	the Utility’s Chapter 11 Case has been resolved pursuant to a plan of reorganization or similar document not subject to a stay;

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the Bankruptcy Court has determined that the resolution of the Utility’s Chapter 11 Case provides funding or otherwise provides for the satisfaction of any pre-petition wildfire claims asserted against the Utility in the Chapter 11 Case, in the amounts agreed upon in any settlement agreements, authorized by the Bankruptcy Court through an estimation process or otherwise allowed by the Bankruptcy Court;


•	the CPUC has approved the Utility’s plan of reorganization and other documents resolving its Chapter 11 Case, including the Utility’s resulting governance structure as being acceptable in light of the Utility’s safety history, criminal probation, recent financial condition and other factors deemed relevant by the CPUC;


•	the CPUC has determined that the Utility’s plan of reorganization and other documents resolving its Chapter 11 Case are (i) consistent with California’s climate goals as required pursuant to the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program and related procurement requirements and (ii) neutral, on average, to the Utility’s ratepayers; and


•	the CPUC has determined that the Utility’s plan of reorganization and other documents resolving its Chapter 11 Case recognize the contributions of ratepayers, if any, and compensate them accordingly through mechanisms approved by the CPUC, which may include sharing of value appreciation.

On August 7, 2019, PG&E Corporation and the Utility submitted a motion with the Bankruptcy Court for the entry of an order authorizing PG&E Corporation and the Utility to participate in the Wildfire Fund and to make any initial and annual contributions to the Wildfire Fund upon emergence from Chapter 11. The motion is expected to be heard on August 28, 2019, and objections and other responses are due August 21, 2019.

If the Utility satisfies the requirements to participate in the Wildfire Fund, the Utility will be required to fund its initial contribution upon its emergence from Chapter 11. The Utility’s required contributions to the Wildfire Fund will be substantial. Participation in the Wildfire Fund is expected to have a material impact on PG&E Corporation’s and the Utility’s financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and cash flows. The Utility is currently evaluating the accounting and tax treatment of the required initial and annual contributions. The timing and amount of any potential charges associated with shareholder contributions would also depend on various factors, including the final determination of an allocation of contributions among the Utility and California’s other large electric utility companies (San Diego Gas & Electric Company and Southern California Edison Company) and the timing of resolution of the Chapter 11 Cases. The Utility is currently developing a Chapter 11 plan of reorganization that would provide for the financing of such required contributions, but there can be no assurance that PG&E Corporation and the Utility will successfully develop, consummate or implement any such plan, which will ultimately require Bankruptcy Court, creditor and regulatory approval. Further, there can be no assurance that the expected benefits of participating in the Wildfire Fund ultimately outweigh its substantial costs.