The state office of emergency services states the agency is working with PG&E to facilitate access for crews to reach remote locations where power needs to be restored.
In order to assist customers with medical needs, PG&E is collaborating with Tri County Independent Living Center to provide portable batteries, gas cards for generators and a hotel stay to residents living with disabilities.
“If you have medications in the refrigerator and if the power to your refrigerator were to go out, what is your backup plan? Whether it be a generator or a portable battery of some sort, make sure you know how to use them correctly and that you have a proper fuel or the proper energy source.” “Have a backup plan for what absolutely needs power,” Contreras underscored. With ongoing repairs and possible outages coming next week, folks currently counting on gas and electric service are advised to be prepared for any outages. “We have not seen this many trees creating power outages in at least 15 years with the snow and the weight of the trees creating these power outages with the snow,” Contreras said. The PG&E reps were set to hold another in the evening with San Lorenzo Valley residents, who have seen several power outages over the past two weeks.Trees falling from the stress caused by the unusually heavy precipitation was a factor in the outages. The town hall was one of two scheduled for Thursday. The utility estimated power would be restored around 3:45pm. The outage, according to the PG&E website, began just before 8am. Yet, less than 24 hours after the town hall some 2,390 customers in South County lost power again. “Nobody wants a fire … we’re seeing tremendous results.” And, although there has been an increased number of outages throughout the county’s rural regions, the new sensors have done what they were designed to do: lower wildfire risk. Quinlan said that last year’s fire season-the worst in the state’s history-spurred PG&E’s fast move. That included why the utility had implemented the new shut-off program so quickly and without giving residents much notice. PG&E reps fielded about a dozen questions during the town hall, which lasted about an hour-and-a-half. They are also making it tougher for animals to nest and climb on the power poles.Īlong with those adjustments, the utility says it will increase its customer outreach before, during and after power outages through letters, social media, automated calls and email. That includes increased inspection of “high-priority” vegetation issues that have been the culprit of previous wildfires and the recent outages. Crews are expected to continue their work over the next few weeks, the reps said. The outages, Quinlan said, have been a result of a variety of objects, animals and weather conditions touching or affecting power lines and tripping the equipment’s new sensors hastily installed in preparation for this year’s fire season.īut the utility says it has over the past week made adjustments to the system that will, it hopes, not only lower the number of outages in the near future but be able to identify and restore power more quickly. “It’s way too many and we understand that,” Quinlan said. Power went out six times in the Green Valley area and another half-dozen outages occurred in Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley. But the sensitivity of the sensors, Quinlan admitted, has also caused several outages in South County since late July. Speaking at a virtual town hall meeting organized by PG&E and Santa Cruz County 2nd District Supervisor Zach Friend, the utility’s Vice President of Wildfire Mitigation Operations and Execution, Mark Quinlan, said that sensors installed on power poles to mitigate wildfire risks have produced a 50% decrease in potential ignitions. SOUTH COUNTY-Saying that the outages South Santa Cruz County’s rural residents have experienced “are not acceptable,” Pacific, Gas and Electric Company representatives told the public Thursday that they are currently adjusting equipment throughout the area in hopes of lessening the length and occurrence of the shutoffs.