This weekend’s planned power outages could be the largest yet in California, as utilities such as Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison order wide blackouts to prevent more blazes — and more wildfire liability — amid heavy, hot winds. “Federal forecast agencies are in alignment that this will be a high-risk weather event.”Edison customers could face continued power shutoffs — or new ones — because of the weather forecast. And if we need to do it for public safety, we are going to shut the power off.”AdvertisementAlthough designed to protect the public, California’s intentional power outages have outraged millions of people, including those subjected to fire evacuations and power outages simultaneously, as in Sonoma County on Thursday. “I don’t understand it.”State leaders have blasted PG&E — which blacked out about 750,000 customers in Northern and Central California starting on Oct. 9 — for not being more selective with its power outages. “This is unacceptable,” said Newsom, who faces political risks from the continuing power outages.

Source: Los Angeles Times October 25, 2019 01:30 UTC