PG&E offers expanded resources in case of planned power shut-offs

Oct. 11—Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is offering new and expanded customer resources in case public safety power shut-offs are needed this fall, including hotel discounts.

The shut-offs are when PG&E cuts power to areas experiencing dry and windy weather to reduce wildfire risk, the San Francisco-based utility said in a news release.

New resources include a $300 rebate to qualifying customers for backup generators, hotel discounts and transportation to community resource centers for affected customers.

Also new this year, PG&E will send shut-off notifications both day and night in accordance with California Public Utilities Commission requirements. Previously the company had not sent notifications between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m.

The company said each year it fine tunes the ability to identify and mitigate wildfire risk, which has reduced the duration and impact of the shut-offs.

In 2021, there was an 88% drop in customers impacted by shut-offs compared to 2020, and a 43% reduction in the duration of outages during a shut-off in 2021 compared to 2019, according to PG&E.

The company is to blame for a number of deadly wildfires in Northern California in recent years, including the 2017 North Bay fires and the 2018 Camp Fire in Butte County, the deadliest and most destructive fire in state history.

Information on planned shut-offs can be found at bit.ly/3SU1gUG.

You can reach Staff Writer Alana Minkler at 707-526-8511 or alana.minkler@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @alana_minkler.

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