PG&E Names New Executive to Gas Pipeline Team

PG&E today added another executive to its gas operations team to help rebuild the company following the 2010 pipeline explosion in San Bruno.

Jesus Soto Jr., who is currently the vice president of operation services for El Paso Corp.'s pipeline group, will now become PG&E's senior vice president of gas transmission, operations, engineering and pipeline integrity. 

In his new role, Soto Jr. will be responsible for four areas for the company:

• public safety and integrity management; 
• project engineering, design and management; 
• gas transmission; and 
• gas system operations.

“PG&E and our customers are fortunate to have someone with such a strong background working to make our system the best in the country," said Nick Stavropoulos, PG&E's executive vice president of gas operations, who was recently hired himself to help chart a new path for the utility following the San Bruno disaster. "We have already made excellent progress in turning our operations around, and there is still more to do. I have every confidence Jesus will play a major role in meeting this challenge.” 

PG&E has been steadily making strides to revamp its pipeline operations by bringing in Stavropoulos and new CEO Anthony Earley and following through on the pipeline safety recommendations the National Transportation Safety Board issued following the explosion.

The utility also is trying to get a $2.2 billion plan approved by the California Public Utilities Commission to modernize its pipeline system throughout the state.

Meanwhile, PG&E has still been beset with problems stemming from its pipeline operations.

The CPUC recently fined PG&E $3 million for failing to comply with the commission's orders to provide records for its gas transmission pipelines following the explosion. The company has set aside another $200 million for pending fines that are expected for the explosion.

More than 250 people have filed lawsuits against PG&E for the explosion, and the jury trial starts in July. The lawsuits are expected to be costly.

PG&E also just reached a settlement with the city for $70 million as restitution for the fire.

Soto said he hopes to help turn the company's operations around.

"I look forward to quickly integrating myself into the PG&E Gas Operations organization and reinforcing a team and a culture that are driven to operational excellence anchored in public, employee and contractor safety, facility integrity, regulatory compliance and system reliability," he said in a statement.

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