About 54,000 PG&E Northern California customers may lose power in safety shutoffs
About 54,000 Pacific Gas and Electric customers in portions of 19 Northern California counties and two tribal communities could lose their electricity as early as Wednesday evening as the utility plans for another series of public safety power shutoffs to prevent new wildfires.
PG&E on Monday notified customers of the potential electricity shutdown as hot and dry conditions, along with wind gusts, are developing in the region. These conditions present an increased risk of damage to the utility’s electrical system, which has the potential to ignite fires in areas of dry vegetation, PG&E officials said in a news release.
The targeted areas for shutoffs include Yolo, Yuba, Stanislaus, Solano, Sonoma, Butte and Napa counties. The other counties are Alameda, Contra Costa, Colusa, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Plumas, Santa Clara, Shasta, Trinity and Tehama.
PG&E officials said 61 customers in the Cortina Rancheria and the Grindstone Rancheria tribal communities may also lose their electricity.
In Yolo County, 11 PG&E customers could lose their electricity. PG&E says 1,420 customers in Yuba County could lose power, and 33 customers in Stanislaus County could have their electricity shutoff. Additional customer notifications will be issued as the potential wind event nears.
The National Weather Service on Monday upgraded a fire weather watch to a red flag warning, which will be in effect from 11 p.m. Monday through 8 a.m. Wednesday for a stretch of the Sacramento Valley northwest of the capital, the North Bay and a portion of the Sierra Nevada foothills.
The warning advises that gusts pushing in from the north could hit between 30 mph and 40 mph in some of those areas, amid low daytime and overnight humidity.
PG&E officials expect high fire-risk conditions starting Wednesday evening through Friday morning primarily in the northern Sacramento Valley and nearby foothills, the northern Sierra Nevada generally north of Interstate 80, the North Bay mountains and Mount Diablo in the East Bay.
There is still uncertainty regarding the strength and timing of this weather wind event, according to PG&E. Restoring power to affected customers will likely take 12 daylight hours once the high-risk weather subsides and the “all clear” has been given. PG&E crews need to inspect the de-energized lines to make sure they weren’t damaged during the “wind event,” according to the news release.
PG&E customers enrolled in its Medical Baseline program who have not verified that they received notification of the potential shutoffs will be visited at home by a PG&E employee when possible, according to the news release. Officials said primary focus will be given to customers who rely on electricity for critical life-sustaining equipment.
