If you have driven by the PG and E substation on Sutton Way in the Brunswick Basin you may have noticed that the large diesel generators are already up and running. Company spokesperson Megan McFarland says the equipment is in place to support forced power shutoffs, but it is being used for additional purposes too.

The generators are producing electricity for areas that would be without power due to out-of-service equipment. It is also being used to supplement electricity generation during extreme heat.

Permanent power generation systems experience less stress and chance of overload when supplemented with the additional electricity from the temporary generators. The substation generators provide back-up power to the hospital grid, and parts of Grass Valley and Nevada City during PSPS events.