The rolling electrical blackouts that hit California in mid-August were — or should have been — a wake-up call about power supply deficits that have been building for years. Simply put, state political leaders have committed California to phasing out nuclear- and hydrocarbon-powered generation in favor of “renewables — primarily...
Electricity Costs Could Tumble For Fresno Unified, State Center
Fresno Unified School District and State Center Community College District could soon see big savings on their annual electricity bills — as much as $1.5 million for Fresno Unified and $340,000 for State Center. Both are considering contracts with Constellation NewEnergy Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, to buy electricity that...
Assemblyman Adam Gray Demands Probe of PG&E's Chief Regulator
SAN FRANCISCO — A state lawmaker on Wednesday demanded an extensive review of the California Public Utilities Commission to determine whether regulators’ lax oversight enabled neglect at Pacific Gas & Electric that triggered catastrophic wildfires, a messy bankruptcy and exasperating blackouts. The request by Assemblyman Adam Gray could turn up...
Power Returns in Merced After More Than 2 Hour Blackout
Nearly 15,000 PG&E customers in Merced were without electricity Friday for more than two hours likely because of vehicle accidents. Power was lost at 7:39 a.m. and returned about 10 a.m. "We have confirmed two separate car versus pole accidents in the area, one of which is being investigated as...
Anger Rises as PG&E Imposes More Blackouts
SANTA ROSA — Frustration and anger mounted across Northern California as Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. began another round of fire-prevention blackouts Tuesday that could leave millions of people without electricity, some for five days or longer. The shut-offs, aimed at keeping windblown electrical equipment from sparking wildfires, came as...
PG&E Faces Gripes Over Deliberate Blackouts
LOS ANGELES — Even as the winds gusted dangerously as forecast, California's biggest utility faced hostility and second-guessing Thursday for shutting off electricity to millions of people to prevent its equipment from sparking wildfires. Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized Pacific Gas & Electric and ordinary customers complained about the inconveniences caused by the...
1.5 Million Northern Californians in the Dark, Most Now for 2nd Day
SONOMA — More than 1.5 million people in Northern California were in the dark Thursday, most for a second day, after PG&E cut off electricity to more customers to prevent wind-fueled wildfires amid dry weather and strong winds sweeping through the region. Pacific Gas and Electric cut power to more...
Power Outages Begin in California Amid Hot, Windy Weather
SAN FRANCISCO — Pacific Gas & Electric shut off power to more than a million people Wednesday for what could be days on end, in the most sweeping effort in state history to prevent wildfires caused by windblown power lines. The move came after two years of catastrophic fires sent...
Worried About Wildfires, Californians Ready for Action on Climate Change
A majority of Californians believe global warming is happening now and that it’s a serious threat to the Golden State’s future, according to the results of a recent poll. What’s more, Californians are ready to cast their votes and spend their money to fight it. The findings from the Public Policy Institute...
Power Outage Hits 17,000 Customers in Oakhurst, Coarsegold
Pacific, Gas & Electric personnel are working to restore power after an outage struck the Sierra foothills around Oakhurst and Coarsegold on Tuesday, affecting about 17,000 of the utility's customers. The outage struck about 1:55 p.m. and was described by PG&E spokesman Denny Boyles as a "transmission level" event. About...