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Friday, February 1, 2019

USA, California: Bankruptcy Could Allow PG&E to Cancel Renewable-Energy Contracts

‘A statewide problem.’ How PG&E’s bankruptcy could soil California’s green-energy movement (Sacramento Bee)

It was a milestone worthy of a global stage: At an international climate change conference in New York exactly one year ago Thursday, PG&E Chief Executive Geisha Williams announced that 33 percent of the utility’s electricity in 2017 came from solar, wind and other renewable sources, beating California’s aggressive green-energy mandates by a full three years.

“We at PG&E are deeply committed to the California vision of a sustainable energy future,” she said.

A year later, Williams is out, PG&E is bankrupt – and the utility is making noise about backing out of some of its commitments to use renewable energy. In a court filing Tuesday, PG&E told the bankruptcy judge it wants the authority to cancel some of its renewable-energy contracts – many of which force PG&E to buy power at above-market rates.