US government may sue PacifiCorp, a Warren Buffett utility, for nearly $1B in wildfire costs

By JOSH FUNK
AP Business Writer

The U.S. government is threatening to sue PacifiCorp, a unit of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, to recover nearly $1 billion of costs related to the 2020 wildfires in southern Oregon and northern California. The potential lawsuits were disclosed in an annual report filed Monday by PacifiCorp’s parent company, Berkshire Hathaway Energy. In the report, Berkshire Hathaway Energy says the U.S. Justice Department told the company it is seeking $625 million in firefighting and cleanup costs related to the Archie Creek and Susan Creek fires and the U.S. Forest Service has asked PacfiCorp to pay $356 million for firefighting costs and damages related to the Slater Fire that started in California but also crossed into Oregon.