Helicopters will be patrolling power lines across the Central Coast Tuesday as part of a PG&E drill.
The utility company reports safety teams were scheduled to leave the Paso Robles and Santa Ynez airports to patrol parts of overhead electrical equipment as part of a company-wide Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) preparedness exercise.
It’s scheduled to take place until 3 p.m. in both San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
The Central Coast has seen many PSPS-related outages. They occur during severe weather in an effort to help prevent wildfires, according to PG&E.
“Crews will inspect de-energized lines utilizing aircraft, vehicles, and foot patrols to identify and repair damage before restoring power. No power shutoffs are anticipated as part of this exercise. PG&E’s emergency response organization is conducting the readiness drill to help be better prepared for actual events,” the utility company stated about Tuesday’s drill.
According to PG&E, crews on the ground and in the air will be patrolling areas that could be affected if future PSPS events are necessary.
“Given the continued and growing threat of extreme weather and wildfires, PG&E is expanding and enhancing its Community Wildfire Safety Program to further reduce wildfire risks and help keep its customers and the communities it serves safe,” PG&E stated in a press release.
