Winter Storm Disrupts Wide Swath of American Business

The winter storm that barreled across much of the United States over the holiday weekend severely disrupted businesses including large car factories, retail chains and the delivery services that people are deeply reliant on for basic necessities. General Motors, Ford Motor, Toyota, Nissan and other automakers suspended or shut down production at plants from Texas… Continue reading Winter Storm Disrupts Wide Swath of American Business

PG&E Found Responsible for California Wine Country Fire

High-voltage power lines. Electricity distribution station. high voltage electric transmission tower. Distribution electric substation with power lines and transformers.

California investigators have concluded that a PG&E Corp. transmission line set off a wildfire that charred Sonoma County wine country last fall, even as the utility was cutting off power to millions to reduce the risk that it would spark fires. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Thursday it had determined that… Continue reading PG&E Found Responsible for California Wine Country Fire

Utility SoCal Edison Agrees to Settlement in 2017, 2018 Fires

Evening power station

California’s second-largest utility company has agreed to pay $360 million to compensate about two dozen local governmental entities for damages and other costs related to a series of fires and resulting mudslides that hit the region in 2017 and 2018. The settlements announced Wednesday show that Southern California Edison, an arm of Edison International, faces… Continue reading Utility SoCal Edison Agrees to Settlement in 2017, 2018 Fires

California Blackouts Force Businesses to Tally Their Losses

Backlit power lines pulsing energy into the Las Vegas strip. Bzzzzzzzzzt!

The last time PG&E Corp. shut off electricity in the Sierra Nevada foothills city of Placerville, Calif., Pop Art Custom Framing Gallery lost about $8,000 in four days, according to Daniel Anderson, who owns the store with his wife. Now, the power is off again, part of a second wave of intentional blackouts PG&E began… Continue reading California Blackouts Force Businesses to Tally Their Losses