Bankrupt energy company Enron Corp. on Thursday won a judge’s approval of a $1.5 billion settlement of claims that it gouged California and other western states during the 2000-2001 energy crisis, Bloomberg News reported.

Bankruptcy Court Judge Arthur Gonzalez approved the agreement in New York. Enron will make a payment of as much as $25 million in cash and cover about one-fifth of $1.48 billion in claims filed in its bankruptcy case.

The settlement still requires approval by U.S. regulators, Bloomberg said.

In July, Enron agreed to pay $47.5 million in cash and provide California with an unsecured claim for $875 million in the energy company’s bankruptcy proceedings. Oregon and Washington would be entitled to $22.5 million each from that settlement. The settlement also called for Houston-based Enron to pay a $600 million penalty to the three states.

Enron filed for bankruptcy in December 2001 and exited last November with a proposal to pay creditors owed $74 billion between 18 cents and 20 cents on the dollar.