Northern California braced for mega power cut

pile-o-stone

I wonder if this will make people in California (and elsewhere if they also have unreliable power supplies) look at gaining some measure of energy self-sufficiency? While the monetary costs of solar and batteries may not add up when you have a very reliable grid, I'm sure it starts to add up when you don't...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-49982236

"A power company has started cutting electricity to around 800,000 homes, businesses and other locations in Northern California, in an attempt to prevent wildfires.

Large swathes of the San Francisco Bay Area - though not the city itself - are expected to be affected.

The region’s utility company, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), has warned the shut down could last several days.

The move has drawn anger from some residents."

mmmmikey

Interesting. On a similar note, I have a brother living in Ann Arbor in Michigan, near to Detroit - a sizeable university town and definitely on rather than off the beaten track. Such is the lack of reliability of electricity supply in his vicinity, he and most of his neighbours have backup generators for electricity supply. Not quite sure what conclusion to draw from that - maybe it's highlighting the drawbacks of not having the same level of industry regulation that we have in the UK?