By Shawn McFarland
Pacific Gas and Electric said Tuesday it will cut power to 800,000 customers in portions of 34 northern counties to reduce wildfire risk during a severe wind event.
PG&E said it would implement Public Safety Power Shutoff just after midnight on Wednesday morning. The power will be turned off in stages, depending on the timing of the wind conditions, beginning with counties in the northern part of the state.
“The safety of our customers and the communities we serve is our most important responsibility, which is why PG&E has decided to turn power off to customers during this widespread, severe wind event,” Michael Lewis, senior vice president of electric operations, said in a statement. “We understand the effects this event will have on our customers and appreciate the public’s patience as we do what is necessary to keep our communities safe and reduce the risk of wildfire.”
Based on the latest forecasts, PG&E anticipates the event to last through mid-day Thursday. Peak winds, measuring 40 to 55 mph, are forecasted Wednesday morning through Thursday morning. Isolated gusts may be between 60 and 70 mph.
Among the areas affected will be Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose, Stockton, Santa Cruz, Redding and Santa Rosa.
The utility has been notifying potentially impacted customers via automated calls, texts and emails. It said customers may be affected even if they are not experiencing extreme weather conditions because of the interconnected grid.
Before restoring power, PG&E said it must inspect equipment for damages and make any necessary repairs. However, that process cannot begin until the severe weather event has subsided. Given the prolonged event period and the miles of power lines that will need to be inspected, customers are being asked to prepare for an extended outage. PG&E will work with state and local agencies to provide updated timelines following the conclusion of the event.
PG&E will open Community Resource Centers in several locations beginning Oct. 9, at 8 a.m. to support customers in affected areas. The locations of those centers can be found here.
