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Unprecedented California Blackout Spreads as Millions Go Dark

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  • Three million people may lose power in widespread shutoffs
  • Utility says cutoffs will continue through Wednesday evening
Millions in California Lose Power on Purpose

California utility giant PG&E Corp. expanded the biggest blackout that has ever been orchestrated to prevent wildfires with a second round of shutoffs in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

The company told reporters late Wednesday that it had begun the second phase of power cuts that was expected to plunge another 232,100 customers in cities including Berkeley and Oakland into darkness as dry, strong winds threatened to knock down electrical lines and ignite fires. Half a million homes and businesses in Northern California are already in the dark, cut off by PG&E overnight.