PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG), through its subsidiary Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), has engaged in restoring power for thousands of customers as the winter storm system is forecasted to intensify. The company disclosed that PG&E crews have recovered electric service for nearly 50,000 customers since Christmas morning.
Moreover, the company revealed that 15,000 customers still experiencing blackouts as of 5 p.m. on Sunday. Crews are also getting ready to tackle any blackouts from the next pulse of the current storm system. The wet and unpredictable weather pattern seems to continue through Tuesday in certain areas before drier conditions possibly come back, along with potentially very cold temperatures.
Furthermore, the National Weather Service released a Winter Storm Warning through Tuesday morning for the Sierra and northern mountains. On the other hand, PG&E meteorologists are predicting low snow levels tonight and tomorrow with heavier snow heaps in the low to mid-elevations. That snow heaps could result in increased power blackouts in some areas.
In addition, PG&E’s meteorology team has created a Storm Outage Prediction Model that includes real-time weather reports, historical data, and system knowledge to precisely show where and when storm effects are most serious. This model allows the company to pre-stage crews and equipment as storms approach to allow rapid response to blackouts. Those activities are taking place now.
Moreover, the company disclosed that PG&E understands how important it is to keep its customers warned. Customers can see real-time outage information on its website outage center and search by a specific address, by city, or by county. This site has been updated to incorporate in-language support for 16 languages.