Millions of Californians were plunged into darkness recently when Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) cut the power to prevent their equipment from sparking more wildfires. The planned shutoffs are designed to protect utilities and the public during the state’s driest months — but frustrations were sparked with the shifting of costs from company to customer. Estimates for these intentional blackouts range as high as $3 billion in losses. 

How did the world’s fifth largest economy get to this point? What is PG&E doing to modernize its grid and prepare for more climate-fueled impacts? How should the company that powers much of Silicon Valley be owned and operated? 

Guests

Russell Gold, Reporter, Wall Street Journal

JD Morris, Reporter, San Francisco Chronicle 

Catherine Wolfram, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs & Chair of the Faculty; Cora Jane Flood Professor of Business Administration, Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley

Emily Wimberger, Climate Economist, Rhodium Group

Loretta Lynch, Former Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission
Danny Kennedy, Managing Director, California Clean Energy Fund

Climate One at the Commonwealth Club can be heard Sunday mornings at 8:00 am on KRCB-FM Radio 91 / streaming @ norcalpublicmedia.org / Listen on air, online, or on the go with our FREE KRCB Mobile App from iTunes & Google Play!

(Photo via Climate One)