utilities News

Verdict in Oregon Wildfires Case Highlights Risks Utilities Face amid Climate Change

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A jury verdict that found an Oregon power company liable for devastating wildfires – and potentially billions of dollars in damages – is highlighting the legal and financial risks utilities take if they fail to take …

GM, Partners to Build 500 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

DETROIT (AP) — A major automaker, large truck stop chain and an electric vehicle charging company are proposing a network that would put charging plugs at 50-mile intervals along U.S. highways. General Motors, Pilot Travel Centers and EVgo said Thursday …

No Injuries in Roof Collapse of popular Buoy Beer in Astoria

ASTORIA, Ore. (AP) — A brewery in Astoria in northwestern Oregon partially has collapsed, with much of its roof caved in and parts of the building dangling into the Columbia River. No one was killed or injured in the Tuesday …

Alabama Utilities Blame ‘Flushable Wipes’ for Clogged Pipes

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — Alabama utility operators are trying to discourage the state’s residents from believing the claims of “flushable wipes,” asking people not to throw them away in the toilet. The utilities are blaming the wipes for clogging pipes …

‘Big Storage’ Is the Next Big Technology in the Climate Fight

If the last 10 years of happy developments in solar power, wind turbines, batteries and electric vehicles have taught us anything, it’s to plan for carbon-free technologies that are unavailable today. They could come tomorrow. Such is the case with …

California Utilities to Spend Billions to Cut Wildfire Risk

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California’s largest utilities said Friday that they will spend about $13 billion to reduce the risk of wildfires following the worst fire season in modern state history and a string of blazes that were blamed on …

Viewpoint: Environmental Debt Risk Is Bigger Than Japan’s GDP

The financial risk posed to companies by natural disasters keep growing and growing, and the size of potential losses is just eye-popping. Moody’s Investors Service says 18 sectors have a combined $7.2 trillion of debt with “high inherent exposure to …

Mix Of Heavy Winds and Rain Knocks Out Power to Thousands

BOSTON (AP) — A storm packing a mix of heavy rains and winds knocked out power to thousands of homes across the Northeast region Christmas morning. There were more than 7,000 customers without power early Friday in Massachusetts. State officials …

Everyone Has a Home Office Now. So Who’s Paying For It?

NEW YORK — In the past, home offices were often an afterthought: Ill-equipped, cramped, and a little dusty from only occasional use. Now in 2020, many home offices are looking more like the command center at NORAD: Multiple screens, high-tech …

California Wildfires: Utility Lacked Basic Training Before Blackouts

SAN FRANCISCO — When Pacific Gas & Electric cut power to large swaths of wildfire-prone Northern California last fall, few of the emergency personnel managing the blackouts for the nation’s largest utility had learned the fundamentals of managing an emergency …