Danette O'Neal, PhD

California utility Pacific Gas and Electric has agreed to plead guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the state’s devastating 2018 Camp Fire. PG&E also agreed to plead guilty to one count of starting the fire, which state investigators say began with a failure of the company’s electrical lines. Under the deal, PG&E will establish a $13.5 billion trust to compensate victims of the Camp Fire and other wildfires, as well as pay hundreds of millions to local entities affected by the blazes. The utility filed for bankruptcy in January 2019 under the pressure of billions of dollars in claims related to the fires. The Camp Fire killed 85 people and destroyed thousands of structures.