PG&E to conduct power shutoff drill in Santa Cruz County
A power shutoff restoration drill is planned in Santa Cruz County Tuesday.
Pacific Gas and Electric says its local electric crews and contractors in Santa Cruz County will be conducting the Public Safety Power Shutoff restoration drills. They say the drills include practicing how they would inspect electric lines for damage after a shutoff and how they would restore power.
PG&E says they will not be turning power off to customers during the simulations however, locals can expect to see additional crews, trucks and even helicopters supporting these drills.
PG&E says the Public Safety Power Shutoff program is part of its Community Wildfire Safety Program, launched last year to reduce wildfire threats.
They say the drill will happen Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. across the street from PG&E’s Rob Roy Substation at Freedom Blvd. and Rob Roy JCT.
This comes as CalFire and Caltrans announced work starting Monday to remove brush, dead and dying vegitation and other possible wildfire fuel along Highway 17 between the Los Gatos Main Street Bridge and the Summit Road/SR-17 overpass.
Cal Fire says workers will be in the community and adjacent SR-17 to finish the work over the next several months. Traffic in the communities and along State Route 17 will be intermittently impacted.
