Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) issued another advisory to Central and Northern California residents that it will implement another widespread blackout on Saturday evening between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 pm.
The largest utility in California explained that its decision was due to the potential extreme weather condition—dry, hot and powerful winds in certain areas in Central and Northern California.
On Wednesday, around 179,000 PG&E customers in 17 counties experienced blackouts due to the same weather forecast, which “poses a higher risk for damage and sparks on the electric system and rapid wildfire spread.”
According to PG&E, its latest Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) will affect approximately 850,000 customers in 36 counties. The blackout is expected to last 48 hours or longer due to the “long duration of the wind event.
The utility will not restore the power until the dangerous weather is over, safety inspections of de-energized lines are complete, and damage to the system has been repaired.
