Climate Changed
California May Go Dark This Summer, and Most Aren't Ready
- PG&E plans to cut power on windy days to avoid sparking fires
- ‘I’m worried,’ governor says, fearing week-long blackouts
The sun sets behind power lines and poles in Rosemead, California.
Photographer: Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
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A plan by California’s biggest utility to cut power on high-wind days during the onrushing wildfire season could plunge millions of residents into darkness. And most people aren’t ready.
The plan by PG&E Corp. comes after the bankrupt utility said a transmission line that snapped in windy weather probably started last year’s Camp Fire, the deadliest in state history. While the plan may end one problem, it creates another as Californians seek ways to deal with what some fear could be days and days of blackouts.