Pacific Gas & Electric - PG&E

As we participate in today's hearings with the NTSB in Washington, our thoughts and prayers continue to be very much with the community of San Bruno and the victims of this tragedy.

PG&E's overriding objective from the outset of the NTSB investigation has been to help the agency identify the root cause of the accident. A thorough investigation of the events of that day is critically important to PG&E and the gas pipeline industry as whole. PG&E already is making pipeline safety changes.

This morning's hearing addressed the use of automatic/remotely operated shut-off valves. PG&E's system includes a number of these valves. As PG&E executives stated in their testimony today, the company is committed to expanding the use of these valves where appropriate and is working with industry experts to study the best use of those valves.

We have launched a number of initiatives to re-evaluate, restructure and strengthen our gas system operations and the management of our natural gas system and have retained independent consultants to assist with this process. Since the San Bruno tragedy, we have reviewed our operating practices with independent experts; resurveyed our transmission lines across our system for leaks; strengthened our gas management team; accelerated our efforts to modernize the pipeline system; and begun an intensive process to collect and validate our gas pipeline records. We will share all lessons learned with the industry to ensure this kind of tragic accident does not happen again. PG&E intends to emerge from this process as an industry leader.