We can only do this TOGETHER!
- Will Abrams
- May 19
- 2 min read
Fellow Wildfire Survivors and Advocates:
As recently announced, AB 2700 has been unanimously passed through Assembly Appropriations Committee due to the strong advocacy and hard work of wildfire survivors across California. As announced, this bill is now singularly focused on supporting solutions for FULL, fair and timely fire victim restitution and simply states:
“On or before January 1, 2028, the commission shall generate a report assessing the verified restitution shortfalls for victims of wildfires caused by electrical corporations occurring before July 12, 2019, and recommend mechanisms for electrical corporations to address those shortfalls to ensure victims are fully and fairly compensated in a timely manner while supporting long-term rate stability. The recommendations shall not include any measures that authorize rate recovery for restitution payments.”
This bill will be strengthened to support the recovery of ALL utility-caused fire victims! As announced by Assemblymember Gallagher, at the May 13th press conference, we will be working collaboratively with the author, co-authors and other legislators to strengthen the bill as it moves to the floor vote in the California State Assembly (floor amendments) and to the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee. Please, understand that we are “balancing the probable with the possible” in terms of what will successfully be passed by the California Legislature and signed into law. Please, stay tuned as we will share these amendments as soon as they are approved by Legislative Counsel and announced.
Be assured that we are advocating in a manner to provide as much certainty for fire victims as possible in terms of supporting full, fair and timely compensation including addressing the current ~30% PG&E Fire Victim Trust shortfall. Certainly, we have waited way too long due to the ongoing actions of PG&E, PG&E ShareCo LLC and other affiliated organizations and individuals working to undermine and delay our financial recovery. Yes, every day that passes without FULL restitution is one more day where our families and our communities suffer. On this advocacy path we have consistently invited the PG&E FVT Trustee and members of the Trust Oversight Committee to sign-on in support of this effort and to date they have declined to respond or to sign-on to this letter:
Despite the lack of support from these individuals and organizations paid to represent our interests and increase the corpus of the PG&E FVT, we will continue to reach out in good faith to collaborate with stakeholders and fight as wildfire survivor volunteers for what is right and just. Towards those ends, we are thankful and appreciative of the sign-on support from diverse organizations like After the Fire USA, Eaton Fire Residents United, The Town of Paradise, The Green Power Institute and the Adler Law Group APLC. We expect that this list of supporting organizations will grow as we move forward. If you know of organizations or local governments that support wildfire survivors, our families and our communities, please ask them to sign-on to support AB 2700 and other related wildfire recovery legislation through the above link.
I hope this update is helpful. Thank you for your efforts as part of this growing and strengthening coalition of wildfire survivors. We can only do this TOGETHER!
Thanks again,
Will
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