Power Out for 1,100 in SLO and Monterey: 117 Murders and 1,500 Fires Later, Why We Still Pay PG&E
More than 1,100 customers are without power in San Luis Obispo and Monterey Counties after equipment failure.
More than 1,100 PG&E customers currently sit in the dark in San Luis Obispo and Monterey Counties. When the grid fails people get angry but they usually forget why it went out. The utility giant often cites weather or maintenance as the reason for the outage. CalCoast News first reported details on these specific outages.
The financial and human costs for PG&E are high according to the source material. A 2019 Wall Street Journal investigation linked PG&E to at least 1,500 fires between 2014 and 2017. This is not just about property damage. The text details the impact on human life and property.
The source cites specific major fires that resulted in fatalities. The Camp Fire 2018 is listed with a death toll of 85. The October 2017 fires including the Cascade Redwood Valley Atlas Norrbom Adobe Patrick Pythian and Nuns fires resulted in 22 deaths. The Zogg Fire 2020 is mentioned with 4 deaths. See the breakdown of the fire risks.
Other incidents are also highlighted. The Butte Fire 2015 saw 2 deaths. The San Bruno Gas Pipeline Explosion 2010 is noted for 8 deaths. Additionally the source claims PG&E equipment was responsible for at least 117 murders in the 2010s plus 4 more in 2020. The text argues that PG&E cannot pay enough money to cover these losses.
The narrative suggests that the community has not forgotten these events. It frames the situation as a long-standing grievance against the utility giant and the politicians who support them.
First reported by CalCoast News.
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