SAN FRANCISCO - (INT) - Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) is being taken to task over how last week’s power shutoffs (PSPS) were handled.

Electricity to nearly two million customers in Northern and Central California was shut off during a Santa Ana windstorm as a preemptive strike against potential sources of wildfires caused by fallen or arcing power lines and other electrical causes.

California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) President Marybel Batjer Monday ordered Pacific Gas and Electric to take a series of immediate corrective actions after significant problems with communication, coordination, and management during the largest Public Safety Power Shut-off (PSPS) event in the state’s history.

Some of the corrective actions outlined in the President’s letter include accelerating the restoration of power with a goal of less than 12 hours.

Governor Newsom urged PG&E to provide affected customers an automatic credit or rebate of $100 per residential customer and $250 per small business as some compensation for their hardships.

“PG&E’s mismanagement of the power shutoffs experienced last week was unacceptable,” Newsom said.

The CPUC held an emergency meeting on Friday in San Francisco to hear from top PG&E executives.

Story Date: October 27, 2019