Exhibit 5.1
FILE NO. 026915.48
March 30, 2023
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
300 Lakeside Drive
Oakland, California 94612
| Re: | Pacific Gas and Electric Company |
Registration Statement on Form S-3
To the Addressees:
We have served as counsel to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a California corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the issuance and sale by the Company of $750,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 6.700% First Mortgage Bonds due 2053 (the “Mortgage Bonds”) covered by the Company’s Registration Statement (the “Registration Statement”) on Form S-3 (File No. 333-253630), including the prospectus constituting a part thereof, dated February 26, 2021, and the final prospectus supplement, dated March 28, 2023 (collectively, the “Prospectus”), filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).
The Mortgage Bonds were issued under the Company’s Indenture of Mortgage, dated as of June 19, 2020 (the “Original Mortgage”), as previously amended and supplemented and as further supplemented by the Nineteenth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March 30, 2023 (the “Nineteenth Supplemental Indenture” and together with the Original Mortgage as so amended and supplemented, the “Mortgage”), between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee (the “Trustee”). The forms, terms and other provisions of the Mortgage Bonds were established under the Nineteenth Supplemental Indenture. The Mortgage Bonds were sold by the Company pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, dated March 28, 2023 (the “Underwriting Agreement”), among the Company, BMO Capital Markets Corp., BNP Paribas Securities Corp., BofA Securities, Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named therein.
In rendering the opinion expressed below, we have examined and relied upon copies of the Registration Statement and the exhibits filed therewith and the Mortgage. We have also examined originals, or copies of originals certified to our satisfaction, of such agreements, documents, certificates and statements of government officials and other instruments, and have examined such questions of law and have satisfied ourselves as to such matters of fact, as we have considered relevant and necessary as a basis for this opinion letter. We have assumed: (i) the genuineness of all signatures; (ii) the legal capacity of natural persons; (iii) the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals and (iv) the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. We have also assumed that the Mortgage will be the valid and legally binding obligation of the Trustee.
ATLANTA AUSTIN BANGKOK BEIJING BOSTON BRUSSELS CHARLOTTE DALLAS DUBAI HOUSTON LONDON
LOS ANGELES MIAMI NEW YORK NORFOLK RICHMOND SAN FRANCISCO THE WOODLANDS TOKYO TYSONS WASHINGTON, DC
www.HuntonAK.com
