California’s governor said Friday that the state was determined to reshape its largest utility — even if it meant a public takeover — after a series of wildfires linked to the company’s equipment and a furor over its handling of blackouts.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said his goal was to transform the company, Pacific Gas & Electric, into “one that better reflects our California values and will advance massive safety transformations beginning before next fire season.”

As a first step, he said he was appointing an “energy czar” to help guide PG&E out of bankruptcy. If an agreement on the company’s future does not emerge in the courtroom, “the state will prepare itself as backup for a scenario where we do that job,” Mr. Newsom told reporters. “We are gaming a state plan to address the scale of this moment.”

The governor said his cabinet secretary, Ana Matosantos, would lead an administration policy team on utility and energy matters. He said he was summoning PG&E executives, shareholders, wildfire victims and other creditors to Sacramento next week to try to hasten an agreement.