PG&E to cut power to 375,000 people

[Eldorado]

"Pacific Gas & Electric says it will begin shutting off the power to about 375,000 people in 18 Northern and Central California counties on Wednesday to avoid the risk of its equipment sparking catastrophic wildfires.

"The utility announced Tuesday evening that it reduced the footprint of the planned blackouts despite projected dry, windy red-flag conditions of extreme fire danger in the northern San Francisco Bay Area, California’s wine country and the Sierra foothills."

Full report at USNews: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/california/articles/2019-11-19/the-latest-pg-e-to-cut-power-to-375-000-people

"If PG&E doesn’t reach an agreement with victims and other creditors by early next year, the utility might not be able to participate in a new state wildfire fund. A federal bankruptcy judge could also strip control from its management and board, or allow it to be broken up, with the pieces sold to the highest bidder."

From the NY Times at MSN Money: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/pgande-struggles-to-find-a-way-out-of-bankruptcy/ar-BBX0sVc

[Piney]

I wonder if it's because they allowed their equipment to deteriorate the way AC Electric did here. 

[rashore]

They did some shutdowns during the summer too. I remember some folks from a different forum talking about having to prep their freezers and camping kitchens for the days they were supposed to be without power.

[+Desertrat56]

59 minutes ago, Piney said:

I wonder if it's because they allowed their equipment to deteriorate the way AC Electric did here. 

I was thinking "How old is there equipment that this is a thing???"

My nephew lives in that area.  I will ask him if he knows what is going on.

[+susieice]

In most of the country, there hasn't been upgrades done to any of the infrastructure in decades. 

[+Desertrat56]

My nephew said that the electrical equipment in his area is fairly new and they did not loose power.  He also thinks that most infrastructure is old as a rule and knows the gas lines are almost 60 years old (he works for the gas company).

[Dark_Grey]

5 hours ago, Eldorado said:

"Pacific Gas & Electric says it will begin shutting off the power to about 375,000 people in 18 Northern and Central California counties on Wednesday to avoid the risk of its equipment sparking catastrophic wildfires.

Wow. If only they had that foresight before all of those people lost their homes in the last fire they were involved in. 

[Gromdor]

Their shareholders don't want to take another liability hit in the event of another fire.  The primary concern of any company is profitability after all. 

[aztek]

yes, true, any business is a business of making money first , whatever they do is second, and there is nothing wrong with it, with no profit there would be no business,  no one works for free, even those who want socialism.