Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
Is a California utility planning to burn more diesel because its wind and solar sources are unreliable?
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
By William Boger
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NO
Pacific Gas & Electric, which serves large expanses of California, is planning to use diesel-powered generators as stopgap measures for customers in areas where high winds and dry weather force it to shut off transmission lines to lessen wildfire risks. Their use is intended to lessen inconvenience to customers, who in some cases experienced days-long blackouts during periods of fire risk last year.
The company's role in major wildfires in 2017 and 2018 led it to file for bankruptcy, a process it completed earlier this year.
The plan is unrelated to the utility's reliance on wind and solar power. In 2018, the company says, wind, solar and other renewable sources provided 39% of the electricity it delivered.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
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Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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