A growing number of utilities are resorting to an extreme measure to prevent their equipment from sparking catastrophic wildfires: turning off the power.
Electric companies serving about 24 million homes and businesses across the fire-prone US West now have plans to preemptively cut electricity during dangerous fire conditions, according to an analysis of data compiled by researchers at Stanford University. The proactive blackouts, however, run counter to the power companies’ main mission — which is to keep the lights on. And that’s angering customers and officials.
Lawsuits — and the billions of dollars of damage claims that come with them — are an increasing concern among utilities, said Michael Wara, who leads the Climate and Energy Policy Program at Stanford University.
“Utilities now fear that if they don’t have these programs in place, they will be found liable and potentially recklessly negligent,” Wara said.
The companies say shutoffs are sometimes needed in order to keep communities safe as longer droughts and more intense heat waves elevate fire risks in their service territories. Many are also changing settings on their power lines running through parched land so they shut down quickly when branches hit them. That reduces the chances of sparks, but