PG&E ... lights out!

Grizzly

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
MAPS: PG&E power shutoff is affecting these Bay Area cities | abc7news.com


Have we ever done this before in the US? Intentionally shut off power for close to 1M people? I've heard reports that estimate it might be as high as 2M people.

Power is supposed to be out for 36-48 hrs. Then it's going to take days to turn it all back on. Some may be without power until Tues.

A few things to think about as pg&e flips the switch ...
- Gas pumps ... off
- Atms .... off
- School closures
- Older vulnerable people, perhaps with health issues ..
- How will this affect businesses? Expediting in/out of the area?
- Criminality ... pg&e just gave every criminal in the bay area a map outlining all homes that will not have home defense systems operating.
- What if there's a fire in an area without power ..?

This thing is gonna be interesting ....

 
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JSH

New Recruit
Industry Supplier
This makes perfect sense when you look at PG&E recent history. They were forced into bankruptcy this year following more than $30 billion in claims stemming from the Camp Fire in 2018. That fire started when one of PG&E’s transmission lines failed during high winds. It only makes sense for PG&E to turn off their transmission lines when similar conditions occur in the future.

Decisions have consequences. You can’t hold PG&E financially liable for not shutting down lines and then expect them to continue to supply power during periods with high winds and high wildfire conditions

As to EVs, most owners will just drive one of their other cars. Also at this point solar makes much more sense than generators especially in California. .
 

Grizzly

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Decisions have consequences. You can’t hold PG&E financially liable for not shutting down lines and then expect them to continue to supply power during periods with high winds and high wildfire conditions.

What if it was their legal obligation to maintain all the lines and have failed to do so over the years?

Tree Trimming and Vegetation Management Information

After the Camp fire PG&E was granted the power to turn off power as a last ditch effort. The government didn't call the shot, PG&E did. Anything to try to avoid another disaster. Understood .. but does that relieve them of the responsibility they've been neglecting? The overgrowth of trees and brush that has taken decades to form cannot be cleared in a short period of time. Not to mention the cost is prohibitive. PG&E customers have supposedly been paying all these years for maintenance. Now they have to sacrifice & suffer? The shutdown has cost billions of dollars.

Meanwhile PG&E has payed billions in dividends ....

PG&E ignored repairs on its aging power lines for years, report says

I don't know if it's Lucy or whoever! ... someone's got some splainin' to do.
 
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coalminer

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
The thing is PG&E is not a public utility, it is a for profit corporation, had more of the dividends went into keeping they grid safer they wouldn’t need to cut the power to so many people.


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