power lines News

Southern California Could Have Cold Turkey From Power Shutoffs

Dry, gusty winds have raised a critical fire threat, prompting Edison International to threaten to cut power to more than 76,000 Southern California homes and businesses just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. A weather front that’s rushing south Wednesday …

State Farm Pilot Uses Sensors to Detect Wiring Defects That Can Cause Fires

State Farm is sending sensors that can detect hazards in electric wiring to 40,000 homeowners in California, Arizona and Texas as part of a pilot project that will measure potential savings and customer acceptance. Mike Fields, a State Farm vice …

More Fire-Prevention Power Shutoffs Possible in California

SAN FRANCISCO — Electricity may be shut off to about 54,000 Northern California utility customers this week to try to prevent power lines from sparking and igniting new wildfires during a predicted new round of gusty, hot and dry weather. …

California Heat Wave Prompts Power Shutdowns, Fire Danger

SAN FRANCISCO — More than 50,000 California utility customers were without power and others around the state were urged to conserve electricity Thursday amid a fall heat wave that brought another round of extreme wildfire danger. The National Weather Service …

As California Burns, the Winds Arrive and the Lights Go Out

SHAVER LAKE, Calif. — Wildfires churned through bone-dry California on Tuesday after a scorching Labor Day weekend that saw a dramatic airlift of more than 200 people trapped by flames and ended with the state’s largest utility turning off power …

Slew of Outages Lingers in Tri-State Area Four Days After Storm

NEW YORK — More than 695,000 homes and businesses in the New York tri-state area were still without electricity at midday Saturday as utilities continued trying to get the lights on four days after Tropical Storm Isaias. Tuesday’s storm dealt …

PG&E Fire Insurance Costs Skyrocket After Bankruptcy, Fires

PG&E Corp. is finding it very costly to buy fire insurance after wildfires triggered by its power lines sent the company into bankruptcy and left it paying $25.5 billion for claims. It’s hoping customers will foot the bill. The San …

Tree Falls on Garage, 19 Sent to Hospitals

PASADENA, Md. — A large tree toppled onto a detached garage in a Maryland neighborhood where people attending a child’s birthday party sought shelter from a storm, sending 19 people to hospitals Sunday afternoon, authorities said. Anne Arundel County Fire …

PG&E Says Bankruptcy Court Approves its Chapter 11 Reorganization Plan

PG&E Corp said its Chapter 11 reorganization plan has been confirmed by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California, bringing the power provider one step closer to emerging from bankruptcy and participate in a state-backed wildfire …

Get Ready for More, Longer Blackouts

By mid-Monday morning, storms sweeping north from the Gulf Coast had left more than 1.3 million out of power in the U.S. Under normal circumstances, this would have called for the mass mobilization of crews to get the lights back …