Planned power outages across the state of California left over 2 million people in the dark last month. The blackouts, which were planned by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE), were meant to reduce the risk of wildfires as high winds blew through the state. As every Californian knows from last year’s Camp Fire, broken power lines, dry fall weather, and strong winds are a recipe for deadly disasters.
While this response is a guaranteed way to prevent powerlines from causing fires – a powerline with no electricity is nothing more than a bundle of wires – it comes at an incredibly high cost…
Read the full op-ed as it was published by The Orange County Register.
CGO scholars and fellows frequently comment on a variety of topics for the popular press. The views expressed therein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Center for Growth and Opportunity or the views of Utah State University.
Orange County Register