PG&E shuts off power to millions of Californians amidst red-flag wildfire warnings, UCLA experts Pincetl and Swain provide context

Stephanie Pincetl, director of the California Center for Sustainable Communities and professor-in-residence at the UCLA Institute of Environment and Sustainability (IoES), and Daniel Swain, climate scientist with IoES, were quoted in Raw Story and Vice articles about the recent wildfires in California.

The articles highlighted Pacific Gas and Electric’s (PG&E) decision to shut off power to customers, a measure that was taken to mitigate wildfire risks. The company’s decision received criticism from customers due to a lack of notice about the planned power outages. The rolling blackouts affected approximately 2 million people across California.

Swain’s comments focused on how PG&E’s decision shifted costs to the public and Pincetl’s quotes indicated that more thoughtful urban planning and mitigation strategies were warranted to address these situations.

Read more at Raw Story and Vice.