"When the power cut out around 5 p.m. on a hot July weekend in 2023, Jerry Baker had one thought: "Here we go again." First, Baker had to inform his nearly two dozen staff: We're in power outage mode. Several counselors zipped around the camp, assessing electric loads and determining what could be connected to the generators. Off went the pool pump and swamp coolers - except the one in the infirmary - along with the air conditioning in several cabins."
"Pacific Gas & Electric Company, the utility that provides power to the area, uses so-called "fast-trip" settings to prevent wildfire ignitions. These settings encompass a suite of technologies - including software and equipment - that can be programmed to sense physical hazards that might spark a fire. When that happens, equipment on the lines cuts off power within milliseconds. The threat of fire here is real;"
Camp Tuolumne Trails, a summer camp near Yosemite serving adults and children with disabilities, faces frequent sudden power cuts during hot weather. Staff must rapidly shift into outage mode, triage electrical loads, and run essential systems on a generator to preserve medicines and elevator access while shedding comforts like pool pumps and cabin air conditioning. Pacific Gas & Electric deploys fast-trip line settings designed to cut power within milliseconds when hazards are detected to prevent wildfires. Wildfire risk is tangible in the area after the Rim Fire. In 2024 nearly a million customers experienced fast-trip outages, often repeatedly.
Read at High Country News
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