PG&E power shutoff delayed for parts of Contra Costa County

OAKLAND, Calif. (BCN) - PG&E's Public Safety Power Shutoff that was set for Wednesday morning in the Lamorinda area of Contra Costa County appears to have been delayed to the afternoon because of changing weather conditions, authorities said.

Officials with the cities of Lafayette and Orinda and town of Moraga all put out advisories late Tuesday morning saying PG&E has notified them that the shutoff is being delayed from a scheduled 9 a.m. Wednesday start to 1 p.m.

PG&E has not officially confirmed the delayed start of the shutoff, which is meant to prevent the utility's equipment from sparking wildfires.

About 264,000 PG&E customers across 22 counties in California are expected to be affected by the shutoff, including parts of Contra Costa, 
Alameda, Marin, Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties.

The shutoff is expected to last into Thursday and would be the sixth undertaken this year by PG&E during dry, windy weather. The utility filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January, citing billions of dollars in expected liability for wildfires in 2017 and 2018.