Power cut studied to curb fires

Pacific Gas and Electric already in bankruptcy over ’18 blaze

Pacific Gas and Electric Corp., the California utility giant that filed for bankruptcy protection in January because it was facing crippling wildfire liabilities, was considering cutting power Monday evening to about 21,000 customers in Northern California to keep electrical equipment from sparking a blaze amid dry and windy weather.

The shutoff would affect three counties, the San Francisco-based company said in a statement. Earlier, Pacific Gas and Electric said the shutoff could affect as many as 124,000 customers in nine counties, which would have made it the company’s largest pre-emptive power shutoff to date. But the utility sent a tweet Monday afternoon canceling the warning for six more populated counties.

Pacific Gas and Electric and other California utilities have been taking more aggressive measures to keep equipment from sparking blazes after fallen power lines ignited a series of catastrophic blazes across the state in 2017 and 2018. One of Pacific Gas and Electric’s lines started the deadliest fire in California history in 2018, forcing the company to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Pacific Gas and Electric said the shutoff plan involved Butte, Nevada and Yuba counties in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas.

Earlier pre-emptive shutoffs have drawn criticism from state lawmakers and

city officials, including the mayor of San Jose, Calif. They’ve raised concerns about effects on businesses, emergency operations and vulnerable populations such as the elderly and disabled.

Pacific Gas and Electric made a similar decision in June, cutting off power to as many as 27,000 customers in the Sierra foothills as high winds threatened to knock down electrical lines. It also shut power in October to about 60,000 homes and businesses.

The utility says it has been working with state and city officials and first responders to coordinate efforts. The utility has opened community resource centers for customers in areas potentially affected by a shutoff Monday.

Strong winds, low humidity and high temperatures were forecast in the region through Wednesday, and authorities issued an extreme fire danger warning for some areas.

Wind gusts were forecast to reach 50 mph in the northern Sierra and foothills, and between 30 to 40 mph in the Sacramento Valley and near the Pacific coast, the National Weather Service said.

Earlier this month, Pacific Gas and Electric agreed to pay $11 billion to insurance companies holding 85% of the insurance claims from fires that include the November blaze that destroyed the town of Paradise, killing 86 people.

The settlement is subject to bankruptcy court approval.

Authorities in Sonoma County have declared a state of emergency to better respond in case there is a power failure. A 2017 blaze caused by a private electrical system killed 22 people and destroyed more than 5,000 homes in the Santa Rosa area.

“Prolonged power outages could impact public safety systems, including emergency alerts,” said Chris Godley, the county’s emergency manager.

AP California utilities such as Pacific Gas and Electric have taken more aggressive measures to prevent equipment from causing fires under dry and windy conditions, though pre-emptive power shutoffs have drawn criticism from state lawmakers and city officials.