PG&E Will Plead Guilty to 84 Counts of Involuntary Manslaughter

California utility Pacific Gas and Electric Company has agreed to plead guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of unlawfully starting the Camp Fire. The company is sentenced to a maximum fine of “no more than $3,486,950,” and it must reimburse the Butte County District Attorney’s Office $500,000 for the costs of its investigation into the blaze. Among other provisions, PG&E must establish a trust, compensating victims of the 2018 Camp Fire and other wildfires to the tune of $13.5 billion, according to the plea agreement included in a regulatory filing. It has to pay hundreds of millions to the town of Paradise and Butte County and cooperate with prosecutors’ investigation, the plea deal says. PG&E also waived its right to appeal the case.