Tuesday night at 5:30, Californians can log ontothis webinarand ask questions about what PG&E is doing to protect people from wildfires, and if those protections may cause a ripple effect leading to other issues.
PG&E says they made their equipment more sensitive to detect disruptions and react to wildfires and disasters but these modifications can mean more frequent and longer power outages.
Suzanne Hosn, the Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications for PG&E, said, “When our assets have detected disruptions on the line, whether it be from vegetation or from an animal, our sensitivity settings are set such that the entire circuit is de-energized. Now we're working to make those outages, shorter, smaller, and then re-energize people, our customers, faster.”
Re-energizing those lines can take a while as well because PG&E goes out and patrols the line by foot, vehicle or by air. They look at the whole circuit to find anything that could spark a fire, before re-energizing the line.
People can also dial in to ask questions of PG&E experts at 1(800) 619-3416.
