How PG&E Has Unified a Divided California

The Utility’s Failures Are Forcing the Golden State to Acknowledge a Crisis in Both Climate and Democracy

Thank you, PG&E.

I felt moved to write this thank-you note because so many of your 16 million California customers have been so ungrateful. No corporation in this state has done more than you to awaken the public to the challenges California faces from climate change, faltering infrastructure, and dysfunctional regulation, and it’s high time we acknowledged the enormity of your civic contribution.

Thank you, first of all, for your transparency. While some rage at how you abruptly shut off power to more than 2 million people, I marvel at how your …