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PG&E Protecting Us From Fires By Turning Off Our Electricity

Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2019 2:13 am
by Joe Guy
Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS)

All Californians need to take important steps to get ready before the 2019 wildfire season, such as creating an emergency kit and thorough emergency plan. Learn more about what California’s largest energy companies are doing to address the threat of wildfire and Public Safety Power Shutoffs at prepareforpowerdown.comOpens in new Window..

Before, during and after a Public Safety Power Shutoff

As part of our Community Wildfire Safety Program, PG&E is implementing additional precautionary measures to help reduce the risk of wildfires. If extreme fire danger conditions threaten a portion of the electric system serving your community, it may be necessary for us to turn off electricity in the interest of public safety. This is called a Public Safety Power Shutoff.

What this means for our customers

Our Public Safety Power Shutoff program now includes all electric lines that pass through high fire-threat areas – both distribution and transmission.

While customers in high fire-threat areas (based on the CPUC High Fire-Threat District map) are more likely to be affected, a public safety power outage could impact any of the more than 5 million customers who receive electric service from PG&E. This is because the energy system relies on power lines working together to provide electricity across cities, counties and regions.

We want to work together to help our customers prepare and keep your home, family or business safe during extreme weather and possible outages. Learn more about how to prepare a safety plan. Because extreme weather can last several hours or days, for planning purposes, we suggest customers prepare for outages that could last longer than 48 hours.

Please make sure we have your correct email address, landline and mobile number so we can reach out to you in advance of a Public Safety Power Shutoff event, when possible.
source

It's nice to know that PG&E is so concerned about my well-being that they have plans to shut off power to my residence and, unless they have their own power source, all businesses in the area. Whether or not you are in a high fire danger area, your power could be cut off if the electrical power source that is used for your location runs through one of those high fire danger areas.

Thank you, PG&E, for your completely unselfish concern for us Californians. We're thankful that you're looking out for us rather than making some kind of political statement. Thanks for not attempting to warn the public of how many problems you can cause if you are not allowed to be relieved of some of your financial obligations and impose substantial rate increases so customers can pay for your liabilities.

PG&E Protecting Us From Fires By Turning Off Our Electricity

Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2019 2:41 am
by RayThom
Joe Guy wrote:... Thank you, PG&E, for your completely unselfish concern for us Californians. We're thankful that you're looking out for us rather than making some kind of political statement. Thanks for not attempting to warn the public of how many problems you can cause if you are not allowed to be relieved of some of your financial obligations and impose substantial rate increases so customers can pay for your liabilities.
JG, do you think multi-filings for Chapter 11s are free? Well, they're not, Buddy-boy. How else can they save themselves for you unless the general public gets actively involved. If they don't go belly-up I'm sure they'll be rewarding you for your unwavering support at a later date. (Besides, if you don't like the services they offer just take your business elsewhere.)

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Re: PG&E Protecting Us From Fires By Turning Off Our Electri

Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2019 3:00 am
by Scooter
I would guess that lines running through high fire risk areas significantly increase the risk of fires and/or can cause substantial damage to infrastructure if they remain live while a fire passes through.

Re: PG&E Protecting Us From Fires By Turning Off Our Electri

Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2019 4:40 am
by dales
JoeGuy…..

I thought the trumpster nailed it when he spewed forth the idea that CALIFORNIANS should rake up the leaves to control wild fires.

Re: PG&E Protecting Us From Fires By Turning Off Our Electri

Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2019 12:34 pm
by Lord Jim
Public Safety Power Shutoff
That may be the most grotesque and Orwellian misuse of the term "Public Safety" since the French Revolution...
Because extreme weather can last several hours or days, for planning purposes, we suggest customers prepare for outages that could last longer than 48 hours.
Yeah, deliberately deny electrical power to whole communities for multiple days on-end during the hottest part of the year; that couldn't be any threat to "Public Safety"...

What could possibly go wrong?

Leave elderly people and babies without air conditioning for days on end in 90 degree plus heat, leave people who rely electric powered home medical devices without them...

Low income people watching their food spoil, gas stations unable to pump gas for those fortunate enough to have generators, (or the means to leave the area) small businesses working on thin margins going under because they can't open...

Leave anyone without a transistor radio (and lots of batteries) without access to emergency information and services as their TV's wont work and their cellphones and laptops, tablets etc, can't be charged...

And of course the local criminal element can always be counted on to pitch in and do their bit by not taking advantage of the situation...

Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "man-made disaster"... :loon

Re: PG&E Protecting Us From Fires By Turning Off Our Electri

Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2019 12:46 pm
by Scooter
Somehow I don't imagine that PG&E is deliberately imposing hardship on its customers and depriving itself of revenue unless there is a greater danger that it is trying to avoid. I don't know enough about fire, electricity, or the interaction between the two to know what that might be, and I'm pretty sure that neither does anyone else commenting here.

Re: PG&E Protecting Us From Fires By Turning Off Our Electri

Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2019 2:35 pm
by ex-khobar Andy
I'm assuming that PG&E is making a point here. You want electricity? You'll have to either accept the associated risks of wildfires caused by inevitable transmission breakdowns, or pay the freight (burying lines, enhanced monitoring of all connections) required to keep it safe. Your choice.

I'm not saying that PG&E should avoid responsibility for the fires last year. But like any trade which involves risks (medical springs to mind) those involved - both providers and consumers - have to understand and accept those risks.

The PG&E-induced wildfires (if indeed they were) last November killed close to 100 people. I am guessing that the projected outages may well at least accelerate more deaths than that for the reasons Jim stated.

Not unlike the Deepwater Horizon blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. I am sure that BP could have done a better job to reduce the risk of that sort of event which killed 11 people and caused a lot of environmental damage. But we could all do a better job of reducing our demand for oil so that we don't have to drill at these very marginal sites.

Re: PG&E Protecting Us From Fires By Turning Off Our Electri

Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2019 7:50 pm
by Joe Guy
Scooter wrote:I would guess that lines running through high fire risk areas significantly increase the risk of fires and/or can cause substantial damage to infrastructure if they remain live while a fire passes through.
The truth is that they've been found liable for causing some of these fires based on insufficient or lack of maintenance to their towers and power lines. With these shutdowns, PG&E is not talking about doing it during active fires. Based on the weather, they're going to shut off power for "High Risk" areas and other areas that aren't high risk. As Jim said, turning off power for 48 hours or longer during a heat wave is ensuring problems, not eliminating them.

Re: PG&E Protecting Us From Fires By Turning Off Our Electri

Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2019 8:42 pm
by Joe Guy
dales wrote:JoeGuy…..

I thought the trumpster nailed it when he spewed forth the idea that CALIFORNIANS should rake up the leaves to control wild fires.
Trump is a smart guy. Eliminating leaves from forests is the solution!

Re: PG&E Protecting Us From Fires By Turning Off Our Electri

Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2019 3:34 am
by MajGenl.Meade
Also, it would be great (again) to eliminate the trees. He's heard that you can't see the forest because they get in the way.

Re: PG&E Protecting Us From Fires By Turning Off Our Electri

Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2019 2:08 pm
by wesw
know your place , joe.

don t question your betters.

be a good little boy or you won t get your pudding.

you have to swallow the meat, or you won t get any pudding.

don t speak unless spoken to.

they didn t ask your opinion, did they?

if they had wanted your opinion they would have asked.

who do you think runs this joint?

the people?

:lol:

silly boy.....

...vote trump.

Re: PG&E Protecting Us From Fires By Turning Off Our Electri

Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2019 5:10 pm
by Long Run
ex-khobar Andy wrote:I'm assuming that PG&E is making a point here. You want electricity? You'll have to either accept the associated risks of wildfires caused by inevitable transmission breakdowns, or pay the freight (burying lines, enhanced monitoring of all connections) required to keep it safe. Your choice.
Or, how many high risk areas are there? During such periods, why can't PG&E hire several hundred fire-fighters (volunteers getting a real temp job) to watch over the most vulnerable places to put out flare ups and to call in immediate help if need be. Beats the impact of the shut downs.

Re: PG&E Protecting Us From Fires By Turning Off Our Electri

Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2019 5:24 pm
by Lord Jim
That proposal sounds quite sensible...

Which of course means it will never, ever, ever happen...

Re: PG&E Protecting Us From Fires By Turning Off Our Electri

Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2019 5:38 pm
by Big RR
Long Run wrote:
ex-khobar Andy wrote:I'm assuming that PG&E is making a point here. You want electricity? You'll have to either accept the associated risks of wildfires caused by inevitable transmission breakdowns, or pay the freight (burying lines, enhanced monitoring of all connections) required to keep it safe. Your choice.
Or, how many high risk areas are there? During such periods, why can't PG&E hire several hundred fire-fighters (volunteers getting a real temp job) to watch over the most vulnerable places to put out flare ups and to call in immediate help if need be. Beats the impact of the shut downs.
Kind of like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qoymGCDYzU