PG&E's preemptive wildfire-prevention power shutdowns impact thousands in California

[OneCrazyDiamond]

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/pges-preemptive-wildfire-prevention-power-shutdowns-impact-thousands/story?id=80517112

Pacific Gas & Electric warned tens of thousands of customers in California that their power may be shut off Monday to help prevent wildfires due to severe wind and drought conditions in the area.

The preemptive shutdowns, at the inconvenience of customers, come as the company is still reeling from fallout related to deadly blazes in 2018 and 2020 authorities say were sparked by trees hitting the power grid. They also come as climate change has exacerbated California's wildfires, stoking conditions experts say have led to the larger and deadlier blazes seen in recent years.

The company sent shutoff warnings to nearly 25,000 customers spanning 22 counties -- including Alameda, Fresno and Napa -- in northern and central California on Sunday.

On Monday, PG&E updated on its website that shutoffs were required and its map of outages indicated power had been temporarily turned off in a slew of communities in the state's Northern Sierra Foothills region, North Coast region and beyond.


It's crush season for the grapes again. I hope this doesn't effect the wine again.

[Nictuku]

1. Yep. It went off at 6:30 this morning

But, I have seen some intense wind gusts, and I live in a fire prone area (up in the hills of Napa), and I am GLAD the power is off. I've been evacuated twice from fires (thank god my house didn't burn down).

PG&E has to shut off the power because of their poor care taking of the electric grid up here. They need to bury these lines. Surely they are raking in the big bucks. My electric bill the lowest is around $250 (when I don't need heat or A/C) and as high as $600 (I don't use my heat or A/C unless absolutely necessary). That doesn't make my 80 year old mom very happy, but what to do with this kind of highway robbery.

[OneCrazyDiamond]

2. Mines off too.

Flicker, flicker, off.

I check their site and nothing about power outage.
Go to report. They act as though it is talking to my (dead) meter, and they show me a report. I dont think mine was a planned outage. Scary, 'cause it's been windy as all heck.

[Nictuku]

3. You can sign up with PG&E to get notifications

I did it on their website. I get texts and a phone call ahead of time so we can plan for these types of shut offs.

Interestingly, the phone calls that come in from PG&E, my phone systems identifies as: Scammer Likley

Ain't that the truth!