Just How Long Will the Bay Area's Power be Off?
Citing red flag concerns, PG&E will begin shutting off the power to communities in several stages today, depending on wind conditions, starting with counties in the northern part of the state.
SAN FRANCISCO—Due to its outdated equipment in many parts of the state, PG&E confirmed that it will proceed with power shutoffs in portions of 34 counties in California, which will affect service for nearly 800,000 customers. The utility company plans to turn off power in areas early Wednesday, shortly after midnight on October 8.
Citing red flag concerns, the power company will begin shutting off power to communities in several stages, depending on wind conditions, starting with counties in the northern part of the state. PG&E has been notifying affected customers via automated calls, texts and emails.
The real question is how long will this last? Some estimates have put the outage at seven days. And just how will customers, especially people with health issues, companies with refrigerated goods and other firms that have essential equipment requiring power, handle this bungled way of doing business on the part of the beleaguered utility, especially if it becomes the norm rather than the exception?