PG&E trying a new tactic in power cuts to prevent wildfires

The nation’s largest utility says it is executing smarter and shorter power shutoffs after receiving widespread criticism last year when it turned off electricity to 2 million California people to prevent its equipment from sparking wildfires.

The outages that began overnight to nearly 172,000 homes and businesses are the first by Pacific Gas & Electric since critics blasted a series of shut-offs a year ago as poorly executed and overly broad.

It does so as thousands of firefighters battle wildfires that have been burning for weeks and the state’s 40 million residents shelter at home because of the coronavirus pandemic.