SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) continues to closely monitor
weather conditions in its service area ahead of a possible Public Safety
Power Shutoff (PSPS). Although no final decision has been made as of
10:00 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7, PG&E may need to turn off power for safety
reasons to approximately 63,000 customers in the early morning of
Thursday, Nov. 8.
Localized extreme weather calling for sustained winds of 20 to 30 miles
per hour, with gusts of 40 to 45 miles per hour, are forecasted
overnight Wednesday into Thursday for parts of eight Northern California
counties. Sonoma County is no longer expected to be impacted by a
potential PSPS.
Customers and communities who have been notified of a potential power
shutoff should be prepared. They should also be aware that their power
may be turned off during the night while they are asleep, and it may
still be off when they wake up Thursday morning.
If PG&E does shut off power for safety during the overnight hours, it
will send automated calls and texts to customers early Thursday morning.
The period of extreme weather is expected to occur during the daytime,
and could last until late Thursday afternoon, which may limit crews’
ability to begin air patrols and inspections of our infrastructure.
These inspections must occur before restoration work can begin.
“The safety of our customers and communities is always our highest
priority. We expect to make a decision about turning off power to any
customers approximately two to three hours before extreme weather is
forecasted to arrive in our service territory. In the meantime, we are
closely monitoring weather conditions. We’re also preparing to conduct
required safety inspections of our electric equipment after a possible
shutoff event by staging 750 crew members and 24 helicopters in place so
that power may be restored safely and as quickly as possible,” said
Kevin Dasso, Vice President of Electric Asset Management.
Factors that PG&E considers when deciding to initiate a Public Safety
Power Shutoff include strong winds, very low humidity levels, critically
dry vegetation and on-the-ground observations.
Due to forecasted high winds and dry vegetation, PG&E may temporarily
turn off power in portions of the following communities:
-
Butte County (approximately 26,500 customers in cities including Berry
Creek, Chico, Forest Ranch, Magalia, Oroville, Paradise)
-
Lake County (approximately 6,800 customers in cities including
Clearlake Oaks, Cobb, Hidden Valley Lake, Kelseyville, Middletown)
-
Napa County (approximately 2,600 customers in cities including Angwin,
Pope Valley, St. Helena)
-
Nevada County (approximately 18,500 customers in cities including
Grass Valley, Nevada City, North San Juan)
-
Placer County (approximately 5,500 customers in cities including
Colfax, Foresthill, Alta)
-
Plumas County (approximately 350 customers in cities including La
Porte)
-
Sierra County (approximately 1,200 customers in cities including
Downieville, Sierra City)
-
Yuba County (approximately 1,900 customers in cities including
Brownsville, Dobbins, Camptonville)
Power can only be restored following a PSPS event after visual safety
inspections of all impacted power lines, poles and towers are made
during daylight hours. Because current weather forecasts predict extreme
weather could last until late Thursday afternoon, PG&E crews may only
get a few hours of daylight on Thursday to begin inspections.
Inspections will resume at first light on Friday, and power will be
restored as soon as each inspection is completed.
PG&E currently estimates that this PSPS event may impact 3,100 miles of
our electric grid. To add context, that’s the same distance as driving
from San Francisco to Boston.
Customers can receive ongoing PSPS notifications by making sure their
contact information is up-to-date by visiting pge.com/mywildfirealerts,
or by calling 1-866-743-6589 during normal business hours. Report downed
power lines immediately by calling 911.
Customers can learn whether their home or business is in or near a high
fire-threat area by reviewing the
California Public Utilities Commission’s High Fire-Threat District map.
For more information on how to prepare, customers should visit
pge.com/wildfiresafety or call 1-800-PGE-5002. They can also visit
pge.com/wildfiresafety to determine whether their home or business is
served by an electric line that may be turned off for safety.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas
and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San
Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of
the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and
Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/
and www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.
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Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Media Relations, 415-973-5930
Source: Pacific Gas and Electric Company