Pacific Gas and Electric Co., which serves 16 million Californians, is paying property taxes and franchise fees of nearly $386 million this spring to the 50 counties, 246 cities and one district where it owns and operates gas and electric infrastructure.

“Property tax and franchise fee payments are one of the important ways PG&E helps drive local economies and supports essential public services like education and public safety. This year’s payments reflect the substantial local investments we are making in our gas and electric infrastructure to create a safer and more reliable system and to better mitigate against wildfires,” said Jason Wells, executive vice president and chief financial officer for PG&E.

PG&E received authorization from the bankruptcy court to pay property taxes and franchise fees so this support for local governments and schools would continue uninterrupted, even amid this year’s COVID-19 health crisis.

On April 10, PG&E paid property taxes of nearly $255 million to the 50 counties in which it owns property. The payment covers the period from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2020. Total payments for the tax year of July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020 are more than $509 million.

For Lake County, PG&E paid $884,970.

PG&E pays franchise fees to cities and counties for the use of public streets for its gas and electric facilities. The energy company is submitting the fees by April 15.

PG&E’s franchise fee payments totaled more than $131 million – almost $41 million for natural gas and over $90 million for electric service.

PG&E invested about $7 billion last year to enhance and upgrade its gas and electrical infrastructure for safety, reliability and wildfire mitigation across Northern and Central California.

PG&E supports the communities it serves in a variety of ways. Last year, PG&E provided $17.5 million in community grants and investments to enhance local educational opportunities, preserve the environment, and support economic vitality and emergency preparedness.

PG&E employees provide thousands of hours of volunteer service in their local communities. The company also offers a broad spectrum of economic development services to help local businesses grow.