A San Diego attorney is challenging the region's investor-owned utility's effort to charge ratepayers for costs linked to the 2007 wildfires.
The blaze was one of the most destructive wildfires in California history. About 1,300 homes burned. Two people died.
Investigators determined the fire was caused by San Diego Gas & Electric equipment and that led to some $4 billion worth of claims against SDG&E.
The utility settled nearly all of the claims filed against it for roughly $2.5 billion.
SDG&E is petitioning the California Public Utilities Commission to allow the utility to charge ratepayers what remains unpaid, about $380 million.
Consumer attorney Mike Aguirre said customers should not pay for a fire started by the investor-owned utility.
"The law says that they can not impose any cost on ratepayers that are unreasonable," Aguirre said. "An unreasonable cost is a cost that is derived from a negligent operation of those powerlines."
Aguirre is formally asking regulators for a full investigation with hearings in San Diego.
The attorney also wants regulators to force shareholders to pay what's left of the 2007 wildfire bill.
