Not retribution. Strategy.
When the states residence get so howling mad they begin to threaten the political class in the state and those politicians begin to see people willing to primary them pop up the politicians will DEMAND the power be turned on.
Once this demand is made by the politicians it frees the utilities from liability. This what the utilities want.
HOnestly, I don't see it as PG&E's problem anyway. They weren't allowed to cut underbrush by law. When maintenance wasn't illegal, there wasn't this kind of continual problem.