California commission's task: Who should pay for wildfires?

A state commission met for the first time, tasked with answering the difficult question: Who should pay for California's increasingly devastating and costly wildfires?

It's a question that has perplexed lawmakers following wildly expensive wildfires in 2017 and 2018 that partly prompted the state's largest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric Corp., to file for bankruptcy. The five-member board has until July 1 to make recommendations to lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The group's chairwoman and a former member of the state's utility regulator Carla Peterman says "we can do better; there are solutions and this board gives us an opportunity to bring those forward."

California suffered its worst and costliest wildfire seasons on record in 2017 and 2018 and experts say climate change is only accelerating the threats. Under California law, utilities are responsible for most of the costs of wildfires sparked by their equipment, even if they aren't negligent. They've long argued for a change in the law, saying it's too strict a standard that brings unbearable costs. PG&E said it was filing for bankruptcy in January because of tens of billions of dollars in wildfire liabilities it faced.