PG&E warns of huge power shutoff in Calif

Bloomberg

Bankrupt utility owner PG&E Corp. issued an unprecedented warning that it may cut power in almost 30 California counties to avoid wildfires as hot, arid winds leave region dry as a tinderbox.
The move may affect more than 600,000 customers across Northern and Central California, including Santa Clara, San Mateo, Napa and Alameda counties, according to a statement on Tuesday. The shutoff could begin when winds peak early Wednesday and last through mid-Thursday. The National Weather Service has posted red flag warnings in parts of six western states, meaning the fire danger is high.

“This is shaping up to be one of the most severe dry wind events we’ve seen in our territory in recent years,” Michael Lewis, senior vice president of PG&E Electric Operations, said in the statement. “It could take several days to fully restore power after the weather passes and safety inspections are completed.”
PG&E and other California utilities have been taking aggressive measures to keep equipment from sparking blazes after power lines ignited catastrophic fires in 2017 and 2018. For PG&E, the stakes are especially high. It already faces an estimated $30 billion in wildfire liabilities. Another major blaze sparked by its equipment could upend the company’s restructuring plans.
The National Weather Service has posted red flag warnings in parts of six western states, meaning the fire danger is high. In California, the warnings ring the Bay Area including Napa County, where the Tubbs fire killed at least 22 and destroyed more than 5,600 structures in October 2017.
A low-pressure system sweeping in from the north will pass east of the region, driving winds off the Sierra Nevada mountains that become hotter and drier as they approach the Pacific Ocean. It’s a common weather pattern this time of year, and September and October are historically the height of California’s fire season.