60,000 customer power outage in Northern California

brianlux

PG&E, the power company for all of Northern California randomly shut off power to 60,000 customers across 12 counties yesterday and today due to "high fire danger".  What's interesting to me is that though it has been dry out here in the west and a dry October is nothing new, that month seems to be a little drier each year.  The major reason for the outage was said to be due to high winds.  As it turns  out, we were off the last two days and were out and about during that time covering a fair portion of El Dorado County, one the hardest hit by the outages, and live we live in that county.  In all of the ground we covered and over all of the last two days, I never saw anything more than a light breeze.  And like I said, the outages, which were intentional, were very random, often affecting one side of a street and not the other.  I have to wonder if the bureaucracy covering these things is running on all cylinders? 

Personally, I think PG&E was being overly cautious.  A little part of me wonders if this was run as a social experiment (local Sheriff's Dept. is encouraging people to write in and comment on how all this has affected them).  But more than a red flag  theory, I think it is further indication of something gone very awry in the west, i.e. climate change, over-population, inadequate infrastructure maintenance, a confused bureaucratic system and... what else?  I wonder.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/nation-now/2018/10/15/pge-voluntarily-shut-off-power-north-california-wildfires/1646686002/

hedonist

Many factors at play surrounding this, but one aspect - here, anyway - is maintenance of trees that have been around for years, ready to snap.  There was a fair amount of property damage last night, and a young woman was killed when an old Eucalyptus fell on her car.

Much of the destruction took place on the sides of the streets most affected by wind, so I can see how random outages might alleviate some of the risk (live wires. etc., not to mention personal loss).

Maybe it's different in a large metropolis vs. smaller or more rural areas, I'm not sure.  Our planned outages (brown-outs) are mostly for heatwaves, and I don't recall one going into place in ages.

Social experiment?  I wouldn't go that far, though there is something certainly to be learned from its outcome(s).

buck502000

Did you get a text from your President recently?

hedonist

Me or Brian?

Odd question...

If the former, nope.  it appeared PG&E took care of that.

brianlux

hedonist said:

Many factors at play surrounding this, but one aspect - here, anyway - is maintenance of trees that have been around for years, ready to snap.  There was a fair amount of property damage last night, and a young woman was killed when an old Eucalyptus fell on her car.

Much of the destruction took place on the sides of the streets most affected by wind, so I can see how random outages might alleviate some of the risk (live wires. etc., not to mention personal loss).

Maybe it's different in a large metropolis vs. smaller or more rural areas, I'm not sure.  Our planned outages (brown-outs) are mostly for heatwaves, and I don't recall one going into place in ages.

Social experiment?  I wouldn't go that far, though there is something certainly to be learned from its outcome(s).

Absolutely true Hedo, but I find incredibly irksome- around our parts anyway- is that the tree company PG&E hires goes out all over the county a couple times a year and does lots of trimming and chipping but then I keep seeing the same weak looking trees and branches overhanging power lines.  What were they trimming?  I just roll my eyes.  Job security?  Tree trimmer with bad vision?  I just don't get it.

brianlux

buck502000 said:

Did you get a text from your President recently?

I don't text nor receive texts.  Without looking at an instruction booklet or on-line instructions, I wouldn't have a clue as to how to do that.