PG&E Corp. is warning that customers in northern California are at risk of losing power this weekend as dry winds elevate the risk of wildfires.
California’s biggest utility may switch off power in as many as seven counties north and west of Sacramento between Saturday and Monday, during a period of “fire danger,” according to a notice on PG&E’s website . Dry, gusty winds are expected to blow through the region, which is experiencing unseasonably warm weather.
Utilities in the US West have increasingly opted to cut power to customers as they strive to limit their risk of starting deadly wildfires. Proactively switching off power in so-called public safety power shutoffs may reduce the chance of the companies’ power lines inadvertently sparking a fire, limiting their financial liabilities.
PG&E said that the company is continuing to monitor the weather and no public safety power shutoffs have been implemented yet.