California Utilities Cause Customer Blackouts To Fight Wildfires
Four things primarily cause forest fires. One is arson. Another is human activities, like campfires. The third is lighting. The last one is downed power lines.
California utility PG&E filed for Chapter 11 in 2019. The cause of the financial problem was a downed power line that sparked a massive wildfire. According to CNN, “The company has cited at least $7 billion in claims from the Camp Fire. It is believed that the Camp Fire was started when a PG&E power line came in contact with nearby trees.”
To help keep a similar problem from happening again. According to Bloomberg, “California utilities cut power to more than 62,000 customers across the state in an attempt to stop wildfires from starting as dry winds sweep the region.” Drought conditions have persisted throughout the area. No one wants to see the LA Wildfires repeated.
Drought Everywhere
The problem is not limited to California, although drought exacerbates the issue. The US has about 180 million miles of electrical, telephone, and cable lines. The US Drought Monitor shadows drought conditions across the southwest, Texas, Beraska, the Dakotas, Nevada, Utah, and as far west as Chicago and New Jersey.
There will be blackouts this summer. Almost all will be due to an overtaxed grid. However, those will cause the worst blackouts. Some of these will be on purpose.
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