When it’s windy and the lights go out, you may assume a tree limb fell on a powerline somewhere in your neighborhood.
Not necessarily. The electric utility may have deliberately cut power. It’s a tactic to prevent fires in the dry windy conditions that are becoming increasingly prevalent due to climate change.
Utility companies have been blamed for wildfires that destroyed communities and sued for billions of dollars, threatening the companies with bankruptcy. To protect themselves from potentially ruinous liability, they’re resorting to turning off power rather than risk their powerlines starting a fire.
This strategy is called “planned blackouts.” It isn’t entirely new; it’s been used in California for a decade, and Oregon followed suit in 2022 (see story here). Now Washington is, too (read story here; see PSE announcement here).
Is it time to get a generator? If you’re thinking about it, read my article here.
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