PG&E

If Gov. Gavin Newsom fails to hold the state's unpopular investor-owned utilities accountable and stabilize power delivery, he will pay a price. If successful, he may reap tremendous political benefits.

Pacific Gas and Electric said it became aware Wednesday night that there was an equipment failure on a high voltage transmission line near where the Kincade Fire sparked, according to an incident report the San Francisco-based utility submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission Thursday.

As the Kincade Fire grows and the firefight continues, 2,000 residents in Geyserville remain under an evacuation order. 

Residents in parts of the North Bay and the Sierra Foothills are without electricity for a second round of PG&E power shutoffs amid forecasts of dry, hot and windy weather conditions that pose elevated risks for wildfires. 

In all, 179,000 customers will be affected by the second "Public Safety Power Shutoff" this season, the utility said in a statement. 

Unless you go big, however, small generators are very limited.

With planned power outages remaining a distinct possibility in Northern California, this week, the City of Santa Rosa is planning for blackouts to begin late afternoon Wednesday.

3 Bay Area counties brace for more potential power outages as weather conditions will favor wildfires by mid-week.

California wildfire victims had to meat a Monday deadline if they want to be considered for compensation from PG&E

Claims in PG&E’s Chapter 11 cases must be filed and received no later than October 21, 2019, at 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Time), known as the Bar Date. If any person or entity believes money is owed to them by PG&E from the period before PG&E filed for Chapter 11 on January 29, 2019, then they must file a Proof of Claim before the Bar Date.

There are light-to-moderate northeast winds with poor humidity forecasted on Monday and Tuesday followed by moderate-to-strong winds on Wednesday and Thursday. 

PG&E spoke very little about decades of neglect, deferred maintenance and profiteering at the expense of ratepayers.

The meeting of the California Public Utilities Commission in San Francisco comes as outrage grows against Pacific Gas & Electric Co. The utility cut off power to more than 2 million people in northern and central California Oct. 9, saying that high wind forecasts could have damaged equipment and sparked wildfires.

California's largest utility pledged to improve communications. But it reminded state regulators that its difficult decision to pre-emptively shut off power to more than 2 million people last week may have prevented deadly wildfires.

In an attempt to make the city’s power grid more resilient from shutdowns, Liccardo proposed creating a city-run power utility that would construct multiple micro grid generating systems throughout San Jose. The city would eventually take control of PG&E transmission lines, possibly though eminent domain.