Company: SREA
Filing Date: 2025-02-25
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001032208-25-000012
Chunk: 121

Company: SEMPRA
Filing Date: 2025-02-25
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1A
Chunk 121
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 wildfires in SDG&E’s or SoCalGas’ service territories could compromise SDG&E’s and SoCalGas’ electric and natural gas infrastructure and result in further service disruptions. Any such wildfires in SDG&E’s and SoCalGas’ territories (or outside of SDG&E’s territory in the event the Wildfire Fund is materially diminished) could materially adversely affect SDG&E’s, SoCalGas’ and Sempra’s results of operations, financial condition, cash flows and/or prospects, which we discuss further in this risk factor below and above under “Risks Related to All Sempra Businesses – Operational Risks.” 

The Wildfire Legislation 

In July 2019, the Wildfire Legislation was signed into law, which we discuss in Note 1 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. The Wildfire Legislation’s legal standard for the recovery of wildfire costs may not be implemented effectively or applied consistently, we may not be eligible for the Wildfire Legislation’s cap on wildfire-related liability if SDG&E fails to maintain a valid annual safety certification from the OEIS or meet other requirements, and/or the Wildfire Fund could be exhausted due to claims against the fund by SDG&E or other participating IOUs as a result of fires in their respective service territories, any of which could have a material adverse effect on Sempra’s and SDG&E’s results of operations, financial condition, cash flows and/or prospects. PG&E is seeking reimbursement from the Wildfire Fund for losses associated with the Dixie Fire, which burned from July 2021 through October 2021. In addition, fires of the size and scope of the recent LA Fires, if found to have been caused by a participating IOU, could have a material adverse effect on the Wildfire Fund. In the case of the LA fires, the causes of these fires have not been determined and therefore these fires may not impact the Wildfire Fund. 

In addition, the Wildfire Legislation did not change the doctrine of inverse condemnation, which imposes strict liability (meaning that liability is imposed regardless of fault) on a utility whose equipment is determined to be a cause of a fire. In such an event, the utility would be responsible for the costs of damages, including business interruption losses, interest and attorneys’ fees, even if the utility is not found negligent. In the past, the CPUC has denied recovery of incurred costs associated with wildfire claims despite the doctrine of inverse condemnation, which was historically based on the ability of a utility to pass such costs through to rate pay