Should the State Take Control of Wildfire Blackouts? – October 23, 2019
Following the recent wildfires and PG&E shutdowns, industry experts believe that the state should begin managing grids. Andrew Campbell, Executive Director of the Energy Institute tells PoliticoPro that the government might not only keep the customer in mind first, but that they would have greater insight on the best timing for the shutdowns.
“Andy Campbell, executive director of UC Berkeley’s Energy Institute, said the state would have the public interest in mind when deciding to cut the power. By comparison, PG&E faced skepticism over its decision, with state lawmakers and customers openly wondering if the company was more concerned about protecting its bottom line than its customers. ‘My view is government needs to basically be in charge, much more hands-on in determining when shutoffs are deployed, Campbell said.'”
Photo: Noah Berger, subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2019/10/23/should-the-state-take-control-of-wildfire-blackouts-1225892