Weeks after Edgewood Fire, Emerald Hills residents frustrated over ongoing power outages

While it cost a bundle up front, for 2 years a gas powered standby generator has helped our family through several power outages. If this is needed for life sustaining medical equipment, it may qualify as a medical expense/deduction on income taxes. For those working from home, one might think the expense would qualify as a necessary work-related expenditure. Also, the state may offer some sort of rebate...?

Since having ours installed, we have never looked back--it powers on automatically within 6 seconds of a power outage, and goes off when power is restored. This has kept us comfortable during periods without power when AC was needed, it has preserved refrigerated and frozen food, and it has enabled uninterrupted use of a CPAP device, so we are very happy. So while I know the installation of automatic standby generators is costly, the payoff is real.
For those willing and able to deal with smaller gas or propane operated generators that must be plugged in and fueled manually, this is a far less costly option. Frankly, since PG&E's negligence appears to be responsible for the inconvenience of these power outages, it should subsidize the cost of these backup generators -- especially for folks dependent upon power for their health and safety. These days, it seems as if we are on our own when it comes to securing our comfort and safety.

Long before the fire, my block of Lakeview Way, and West Summit has been constantly affected and for the longest periods of time. Our whole stretch of block now has generators, which sound like a plane hangar when they all start up. We have some elderly having to run their medical equipment, Cpaps, my immediate next door neighbor almost lost 6 months of stored breast milk that she was saving to go back to work as a physician. We love where we live, but the outages are trying. Being in the dark for 2-3 days during the terrible fire season a couple of years ago was by far the worst. But always being the last block turned back on is very frustrating.

We all would be well advised to remember the frustration of power outages; either singular events or the recurring events noted in this article. PG&E has demonstrated that they cannot maintain reliable electricity because of equipment failures and proactive power shut-offs due to 'weather'.

What is perhaps most frustrating is living in one of the most wealthy and technologically advanced areas in the world and yet we can't keep the lights on.

Now, couple that problem with 'do-gooder' cries to eliminate natural gas in our homes and communities. Natural gas allows my family to cook, heat water, heat our home, and best of all, run our natural gas natural gas generator so we also have air-conditioning, refrigeration, and electronics. If we had electric vehicles, we could charge them using natural gas as well.

Fire can and does threaten our power supply, but so do well intentioned (but perhaps mis-guided) advocacy groups and their like-minded politicians.