What a headline. My first thought would be, is this a third world country? Well………it all happened in California earlier this month and it certainly hasn’t been the first time. Wildfires in California have forced the state’s largest-ever Public Safety Power Shutoff. It’s hard to believe they even have a name for such an event let alone how often and how long these events last. PG&E is certainly under the microscope and it has brought about talks from some of the larger cities teaming up and buying PG&E creating the country’s largest public utility. The attached map, indicating the location and number of fires from 2014 through 2017 caused by power lines, is rather scary.
We tend to take our utilities for granted. Flip the switch and you expect the light to come on. Turn the handle on the faucet and you expect water to come out. Compared to many locations around the country we are fortunate in the Midwest to have reliable power. Sure, we have the occasional high winds or ice storms but typically your neighbor is there to help get the lights back on.
The article below is worth the read as it details the issues that PG&E faces. Happy reading!
