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SACRAMENTO —
In an unprecedented move, Pacific Gas & Electric early Wednesday began shutting off power to about 800,000 customers across Northern California in an attempt to avoid wildfires caused by winds damaging power equipment.
The first power cutoffs, expected to affect 513,000 customers, began shortly after midnight in several counties around Sacramento, including Placer and Yuba, amid strengthening winds and continued to roll out into the early morning hours.
The blackouts will impact 34 counties in Central and Northern California. It would be the biggest power shutdown so far as utilities across the state attempt to reduce wildfire risk due to heavy wind. Utilities malfunctions have been tied to some of the state’s most destructive fires, including last year’s Camp fire, which devastated Paradise, Calif., and the 2017 wine country blazes.
“It is a very blunt way of approaching the situation, but at the same time, there’s an understanding of why it’s being undertaken,†said Sonoma County Supervisor David Rabbitt, who noted PG&E’s announcement came on the second anniversary of the 2017 firestorm. “We have vulnerable populations, our elderly and young children. We’re mostly concerned about them.â€
The shut-down will be PG&E’s third in the last two months, the utility said. Power was restored within a day during the previous two events, but those were also for much smaller slices of its customer base.
“It is very possible that customers may be affected by a power shut-off even though they are not experiencing extreme weather conditions in their specific location,†the utility said in a statement. “This is because the electric system relies on power lines working together to provide electricity across cities, counties and regions.â€
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-08/pge-power-shutdown-winds-critical-fire-danger