'It looks like a third world country': California has up to 3 million people without electricity

On Wednesday, October 9th, hundreds of thousands of Pacific Gas & Electric customers across Northern California were hit by the largest planned power outage in history.

Pacific Gas & Electric filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. His equipment was the cause of the deadliest wildfire in the past year. This time, Pacific Gas & Electric said the shutdown is necessary to prevent sparks from sparking on its power lines as dangerous dry winds rise.

The first phase of power outages for 500 000 customers began at midnight on Wednesday, October 9. The second - appointed at noon, but he was postponed until 8 in the evening, and then again detained.

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According to experts, up to 2,5 million people may suffer from outages.

Although the utility should have properly warned users, many residents claimed they had not heard of planned outages. They urgently had to buy generators, heaters and canned goods.

Фото: Depositphotos

Schools such as UC Berkeley and Humboldt State University canceled classes and closed campuses. Scientists fear that some research will fail if their buildings turn out to be without electricity.

“Many friends and colleagues barely have enough emergency power to keep the freezers cold and the incubators to work,” said Julia Torvey, a graduate student and researcher from Berkeley.

“These two things contain millions of dollars of research, decades of effort. Their content is irreplaceable, ”she added.

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David Lerman said his daughter is studying in Humboldt and was disappointed by the lack of information about how disconnection will affect students living in dormitories.

“I blame PG&E for creating danger and disruption. It is absolutely absurd to use massive and poorly maintained power lines across huge mountains with dense forests and dry fuel, ”he added.

His disappointment was supported not only by local residents, but also by some officials.

“Millions of people without electricity are what a third world country looks like, not a country with the fifth largest economy in the world,” said Jim Nielsen, state senator.

Around 6 in the evening, in some areas, renewed power began. However, according to The Chronicle, power line outages caused damage to residents and businesses. It is estimated that the damage is about 1 billion dollars, and even more.

As ForumDaily wrote earlier:

• The police ordered evacuate people due to forest firethat quickly crawled through the hills of the San Francisco area.

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