Customers of Arizona Public Service (APS) in high-risk fire zones may experience brief power outages due to severe fire weather conditions for the second consecutive year.
The “Public Safety Power Shutoff” is a fire prevention tactic that disables power to prevent electrical systems from starting or stoking wildfires. According to APS officials, shutoffs would only occur in specific circumstances referred to as “fire weather,” which consists of high temperatures, strong or gusty winds, and an abundance of fuels.
Not every county in Arizona is subject to the possible shutdowns.
The possible shutdowns for portions of Coconino, Yavapai, and Gila counties were announced by APS last year. APS is extending the possible shutdowns to parts of two additional counties this year: Pinal and Navajo.
Approximately 80,000 subscribers could be affected overall, up from roughly 14,000 the previous year. However, according to APS authorities, not every subscriber will be affected at the same time.
The shutoff map does not include Maricopa and Pima, the two most populated counties in the state.
Up to 20 hours could pass during the outages. According to APS authorities, they haven’t had to turn off the electricity yet.
APS’s director of forestry and fire mitigation, Scott Bordenkircher, told the Arizona Corporation Commission last year that he anticipates power shutdowns being used “very, very seldom.” However, if circumstances call for it, we are willing to employ it.
According to APS authorities, customers will receive advance notice via email, phone calls, and texts four days before to any anticipated shutdown. To provide services like shelters or cooling centres, they will also collaborate with county disaster management officials.
Such power shutoffs are not required in Arizona. Nonetheless, certain utility providers in areas like Colorado, Oregon, and Texas have launched comparable initiatives in recent years.
At its meeting Thursday, the Arizona Corporation Commission—the state body that oversees APS and numerous other utilities—was scheduled to hear a presentation on the increased shutoffs; however, the topic was postponed until May 15.