PG&E Warns of More Potential Power Cuts Due to Wind Event

By Kimberly Chin

PG&E Corp.'s (PCG) utility arm Pacific Gas & Electric said it "may need to proactively turn off power" in parts of 17 Northern California counties due to a "dry, offshore wind event."

The company said a potential shutoff may start Wednesday afternoon and may affect 184,000 customers in the Sierra Foothills and the North Bay. PG&E said it would proactively monitor weather conditions in order to prevent wildfires from being sparked by electrical equipment.

The potentially affected counties are Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sierra, Sonoma, Tehama and Yuba. This could also affect Kern, San Mateo and Tehama counties, PG&E said.

Last week, the company warned of a possible power shutdown in many of the same counties. In this case, the company also cited dry, wind conditions that could raise concerns of potential wildfires.

San Jose is proposing turning PG&E into a customer-owned utility amid frustration about the blackouts, which are intended to reduce fire risks.

Write to Kimberly Chin at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 23, 2019 13:42 ET (17:42 GMT)

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