California can go dark this summer, and most are not ready

(Bloomberg) – A plan of California's greatest tool to cut power on high winds during the noisy fire may cause millions of residents to come into the dark. And the vast majority are not ready for it.

The plan from PG & E Corp. Comes after the bankruptcy tool said that a transmission line that struck in windy weather probably began last year's Camp Fire, the deadliest in state history. While the plan may end up with a problem, it creates another that California seeks ways to deal with what some fears may be days and days of blackouts.

Some residents turn to other power sources, a blessing for home batteries marketed by Sunrun Inc., Tesla Inc. and Vivint Solar Inc. But the number of systems used is relatively small compared to PG & E's 5.4 million customers. Meanwhile, Governor Gavin Newsom said he was budgeting $ 75 million to help communities deal with the threat.

"I'm worried," said Newsom on Thursday during a budget briefing in Sacramento. "We're all worried about it for the elderly. We are worried about it because we could see that people's power was not shut down for a day or two, but possibly a week. ”

Six of the 10 most devastating firefighters in California history have come in the last 18 months, killing 123 people, and often knock down large parts of the state's electricity grid.

The Wildfire season usually begins around June and goes through December, aggravated by strong winds that run through the state and dry conditions that strike brush and plants into peaks.

PG & E has warned the city of Calistoga that it could cut the service as many as 15 times this fire season, said Mayan mayor Napa Valley, who was hidden by wild fire two years ago. But in an interview, the company's vice president of electrical operations, Aaron Johnson, said that the number will depend on how extreme the weather is.

The tool also plans to set up dozens of so-called "resiliency centers", Johnson said. via telephone, where backup generators can be retrieved to operate essential services. A first pilot center is being built near Calistoga, he said.

Canning said society is working on its own solution. He is looking at developing a small network of microgrids that consists of solar panels and batteries, which will allow his community to function when PG and E pull the plug.

Streetlights Dark

The Calistoga mayor began seriously exploring the option of PG & E, dreadful fire risk, cuts power for almost two days in the fall, throwing the city into the dark. The outbreaks meant that auxiliary systems were paralyzed, streetlights were dark and gas pumps would not work. At that time, almost no one in the city had a backup generator, he said.

"If this is the new common, we must accept it," Canning said.

The Camp Fire in November, along with a fire from the previous year, exposed PG & E to an estimated $ 30 billion or more in claims from blazes, and the rush of bankruptcy in January. Since then, the utility giant has been under pressure to better ensure that the equipment will not burn fire. Earlier this year, PG & E said it would expand the scope of its power outages to include high-power power lines that potentially affect nearly 10 times the number of customers compared to a previous plan.

The state's other investor-owned tools also have shutdown programs, but on a smaller scale than PG & E.

& # 39; Challenging Programs & # 39;

"It's a very challenging program, and not a decision we take lightly, considering the security risk that exists on each side," says PG & E, Johnson, part of a great He has added meetings and planning exercises with locals and state officials as part of the preparations, said Johnson, saying that PG & E had held meetings and planning exercises with local and state officials as part of the preparations.

The tool aims to provide at least two days of shutdown and have a Launched a public awareness campaign, including postal mail to customers and working to identify vulnerable residents, it will also work to restore power one day after a shutdown, even though customers could spend as many as five days, according to Johnson. 19659018] Meanwhile, state regulators have said they are developing termination warning guidelines for PG & E and all state tools that require them to coordinate with state and Local agencies want PG and E to use shutdowns as a last resort.

History Continues