Is a California utility planning to burn more diesel because its wind and solar sources are unreliable?
By William Boger
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NO
Pacific Gas & Electric, which serves large expanses of California, is planning to use diesel-powered generators as stopgap measures for customers in areas where high winds and dry weather force it to shut off transmission lines to lessen wildfire risks. Their use is intended to lessen inconvenience to customers, who in some cases experienced days-long blackouts during periods of fire risk last year.
The company's role in major wildfires in 2017 and 2018 led it to file for bankruptcy, a process it completed earlier this year.
The plan is unrelated to the utility's reliance on wind and solar power. In 2018, the company says, wind, solar and other renewable sources provided 39% of the electricity it delivered.
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