"California Utility Sees Decade Of Power Cuts To Avoid Wildfires"

"Northern Californians can expect widespread power cuts aimed at preventing wildfires for a decade while Pacific Gas & Electric upgrades wires systems, cuts back trees and takes other safety measures, the utility’s chief executive said on Friday.

Bill Johnson, who became CEO of bankrupt PG&E Corp earlier this year, told an emergency meeting with the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) that recent power outages included lack of information and hardships that cannot be repeated.

But the day when preemptive power outages would no longer be necessary is still years away, he said."

Nichola Groom reports for Reuters October 18, 2019.