Jerry Hill to Call on Regulators to End 'Culture of Complacency'

Assemblyman Jerry Hill is expected to appear before the California Public Utilities Commission Thursday to call for an end to what he calls a “culture of complacency” on the regulatory board and on Pacific Gas & Electric Co.'s management board, which has shaken public trust since the Sept. 9 gas pipeline explosion.

A news release said Hill, D-San Mateo, is concerned that the commission hasn't levied a single fine against PG&E or other utilities for pipeline safety violations in more than a decade. The commission also failed to properly audit the utility’s records, which have been rife with errors that threaten public safety, Hill said in the release. 

“The watchdog has become a lapdog to those it regulates,” Hill said.

Hill is expected to warn the CPUC at its 10am meeting in San Francisco that to prevent future explosions commissioners must pressure PG&E to revamp a management culture that is more concerned about profits than public safety.

The CPUC meeting will be held at the Hiram W. Johnson State Office Building auditorium, 505 Van Ness Ave., in San Francisco.