With another major wildfire season anticipated, more residents in high wildfire threat areas, including Nevada County, will likely experience more power outages. PG and E Spokeswoman Deanna Contreras says the utility is expanding the use of an advanced technology that quickly and automatically shuts off electricity within one-tenth of a second when the danger is considered high…

click to listen to Deanna Contreras

Nevada County was part of a pilot program for certain areas last year. But virtually all residents could be impacted this year, mostly between May and November. But Contreras says, unlike during Public Safety Power shutoffs, during severe wildfire threats, and which affect a larger area, the so-called Enhanced Powerline Safety outages are much more specific and shouldn’t last as long…

click to listen to Deanna Contreras

Contreras says last year the pilot program reduced Public Utilities Commission-reportable ignitions by 80-percent. This year, PG and E plans to expand the program across over 25-thousand miles of high fire threat distribution lines and in select adjacent areas.