PG&E will respond to California’s reckless environmental policies that cause huge wildfires by unplugging electricity on windy days, despite risks to shut-ins and the elderly.
The California public utility, forced into its second bankruptcy in 16 years after facing $30 billion in liability claims from 2017 and 2018 wildfires, announced a ‘Public Safety Power Shutoff‘ policy that will shut down its electrical grid for up to 5.4 million users during ‘Red Flag’ periods with low humidity and sustained winds above 25 mph.
The bankrupt company stated that the shutoff could last up to five days and suggested that special needs, such as the elderly and shut-ins that “require electricity to sustain life, may wish to Create An Emergency Preparedness Plan” that could include having public service phone numbers, having a backup location, and informing local authorities.
County officials were stunned by the new PG&E policy, expressing fear that patients on medical equipment could be at risk of dying. There are also concerns that PG&E electrical shutoffs during the Carr Fire that swept through Redding and the Camp Fire that burned Paradise to the ground, many seniors could not open garage doors to escape.
PG&E argues it has been forced to adopt electrical shutoffs under a bizarre 1999 California Court of Appeals opinion that made utility assets subject to “inverse condemnation” through legal claimant “taking,” without regard for any determination of negligence by the utility or its staff, for wind-driven power line–sparking wildfires along PG&E’s 18,466 circuit miles of interconnected electric transmission lines.
wasn’t wind (and solar) slated to replace fresh squeezed dead dinosaurs and power us into the shiny, chrome plated future?
I can see this working out just great-
Windy day. Power shut down. Someone cooking on a Coleman stove or similar, or living in a tent at their pot grow, accidentally starts a small fire. No water to put it out. Winds escalate fire. No way to call for help. Responders can’t get out of garages. Massive fire results.
Next week, they will say it is safest to just burn the whole state, then they can always have electricity.
Always creating imaginative ways to help people die. Only the privileged will have “power” in these difficult times.
Cha-ching! The price of generators just went up…
Some of us may be looking at this all wrong… PG&E has been backed into the proverbial corner by california politicians not taking responsibility for their (politicians) own stupidity and failures. california continues to sue the power grid (what a financial field day!)and now the power provider says, no when the wind blows we’ll shut off the power to everybody…. how do you like me now?
“Speaking the truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act.” Geo. Orwell
Might want to start burying utilities where applicable. Won’t eliminate the problem as you still have to run transmission lines but would certainly lessen the amount of overhead lines to residential and some commercial.
screw the power providers….they’ve been paid. Yes, Charge me for maintenance, but your infrastructure has been bought and paid for threefold on a ten year circulating basis…..They charge because they can….
Different Tim…
10 grand buys a hell of a good diesel generator. I’m thinking about it, but I’m looking for a spot to put it that will bother my idiot neighbors the most…..LOL
Willy – Exercise bike with an alternator. You’re still young and its great exercise.😉
Willy,
Maybe your neighbors would love to see a military 10kw generator on a trailer w/original forest camo paint scheme (if you’re in the desert, use the desert scheme if you’re in the forest).
You could even find some camo netting to pretend you’re hiding it from them.
Burying the power lines in an earthquake prone region has its own built in problems.
Joe6 – True. Very expensive also but earthquakes will affect above ground also. Catch 22.
Bury the power lines up the politicians asses.
All California Legal Residents will receieve
1 Set Per Person
. . .and then you are on your own:
(1) Solar Panel
(1) Charcoal Grill
(1) Canteen
(1) Silver Blanket
(2) Wooden Matches
(3) Pairs of Nylons
(3) Lipsticks
(1) 3 Pack Prophylactics
Do not Unplug Grandma’s vibrator.
My bad misread to Grandma.
Her response was.
She said she will F’ you up during the next election if vote for this,,,
Still young at heart she is God bless her.
CA looking more like Venezuela every day.
I have always associated unreliable electrical supply and rolling blackouts with third-world countries.
Oh, wait!