Patricia Kessler Poppe
Summary
Patricia Kessler Poppe has served as PG&E Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer and a director since January 2021, leading the company’s efforts to improve safety, reliability, affordability, and public trust. ([pgecorp.com](https://www.pgecorp.com/about/officers/company-directors/patricia-poppe.html?utm_source=openai))
Biography
Poppe joined PG&E after five years as President and CEO of CMS Energy and Consumers Energy in Michigan. During her decade at CMS Energy, she held senior roles covering distribution operations, engineering, transmission, customer experience, rates, regulation, and customer operations. Earlier in her career, she was a power-plant director and regulated-marketing executive at DTE Energy, following 15 years in plant-management and other roles at General Motors. ([pgecorp.com](https://www.pgecorp.com/about/officers/company-directors/patricia-poppe.html?utm_source=openai)) She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in industrial engineering from Purdue University and a master’s degree in management from Stanford Graduate School of Business. At PG&E, she has promoted lean operating practices, wildfire mitigation, system resilience, and efforts to improve customer service. She also serves on industry and academic advisory boards, including those associated with the Edison Electric Institute, the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and Purdue University. ([pgecorp.com](https://www.pgecorp.com/about/officers/company-directors/patricia-poppe.html?utm_source=openai))
Notable achievements
- Led PG&E’s operating-transformation program based on lean business principles, with the company reporting improved efficiency and reduced operational waste. ([pgecorp.com](https://www.pgecorp.com/about/officers/company-directors/patricia-poppe.html?utm_source=openai))
- Kept wildfire safety and grid resilience as central priorities during her tenure as CEO. ([pgecorp.com](https://www.pgecorp.com/about/officers/company-directors/patricia-poppe.html?utm_source=openai))
- PG&E was recognized by Stanford’s Woods Institute for the Environment in 2025 as one of the top utilities in the nation for wildfire safety. ([pgecorp.com](https://www.pgecorp.com/about/officers/company-directors/patricia-poppe.html?utm_source=openai))
- Oversaw PG&E during the effort to extend operations of Diablo Canyon, which the Nuclear Regulatory Commission found safe to operate for an additional 20 years. ([pge.com](https://www.pge.com/en/newsroom/currents/safety/federal-commission-finds-diablo-canyon-power-plant-safe-to-opera.html?utm_source=openai))
- Brought prior utility-operations experience from CMS Energy, including responsibility for electric and natural-gas distribution systems and transmission operations. ([investor.pgecorp.com](https://investor.pgecorp.com/news-events/press-releases/press-release-details/2020/PGE-Corporation-Appoints-Patricia-K--Poppe-as-Chief-Executive-Officer-Effective-January-4-2021/default.aspx?utm_source=openai))
Problem areas / controversies
- PG&E continued to face wildfire-related regulatory scrutiny during her tenure; in July 2026, CPUC staff proposed a $22 million penalty tied to the 2022 Mosquito Fire, citing violations involving overhead-line safety requirements. ([cpuc.ca.gov](https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/news-and-updates/all-news/cpuc-staff-issue-proposal-penalizing-pacific-gas-and-electric-22-million-for-2022-placer-county-fire?utm_source=openai))
- PG&E’s rate requests and high customer bills have drawn criticism from consumer advocates and California officials, creating a continuing affordability challenge for management. ([kqed.org](https://www.kqed.org/science/1996812/pge-proposes-new-rate-increase-but-says-customer-bills-wont-rise-yet?utm_source=openai))
- The company acknowledged that its response to the 2025 Mission Substation fire and outage fell short, particularly in providing restoration estimates and communicating with local officials. ([pge.com](https://www.pge.com/en/newsroom/currents/hometowns/understanding-pg-e-substation-inspections-and-audits.html?utm_source=openai))
- Some criticism has focused on the tension between PG&E’s large wildfire-mitigation investment program and the resulting pressure on customer rates; these are corporate and regulatory issues rather than allegations of personal misconduct by Poppe. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/d5ec49626164ce5cb68af12b9223c427?utm_source=openai))