It's Only A Public Safety Power Shutoff...

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SBCTA

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SBCTA is a non-partisan citizen's advocacy group committed to promoting lower taxes and efficiency in government.

Don't Worry, it's Only A Public Safety Power Shutoff...

Friends,

I along with tens of thousands of other residents received the following message yesterday from one of our beleaguered utility's:

Dear Valued Customer:

"Given the growing threat of extreme weather, we want all of our customers to be prepared for power outages. If extreme fire danger conditions threaten a portion of the electric system serving your community, it will be necessary for us to turn off electricity in the interest of public safety. This is called a Public Safety Power Shutoff ."

Sincerely,

PG&E

Regretfully I have no doubts as to their sincerity. However, in reality, this is due entirely to the atrocity of green nitwittery.

First, let's not forget that the reason PG&E is forced to take these extreme measures is to avoid more lawsuits by the same government officials that refuse to do their jobs concerning adopting sensible forest management policies.

If there is dry, overgrown brush too close to the electric system, the dry brush should be cleared out.

Regrettably, this isn't allowed to happen in California because green extremists have hijacked our state and convinced the voters that people and Mother Nature are at war and Mother Nature, not people, is the underdog, and she needs protection from us.

In truth, though, it is the other way around. We need radical measures to protect ourselves from Mother Nature.

One fundamental step we need to take to protect ourselves from Mother Nature is defensible spaces and controlled burns.

However, just as people have been debating religion for eons, e.g., did Jesus rise from the dead? Will the world end in 12 years? Is the Pope infallible? Are plastic bags threatening sea life on Clark Avenue?

Concerning some issues, the need for recurring debate is over.

We already know the truth, and the facts and the truth are indisputable. E.g., The wind only blows when it's blowing, and the sun only shines when it's shining.

And by the way, it's always hot when it's hot, especially in Summer, and it always snows when it's snowing, even in December.

Somebody should explain this to the very concerned Katy Davis.

So these inconvenient articles of fact are very relevant to the future of California and the rest of the country.

Because the same people who would argue against sensible forest management are the same people insisting we decarbonize our lives by electrifying our homes, our hospitals, our schools, and our businesses.

Unfortunately, the electrifying the radical greens are pushing for, something they call electrification, means converting all existing natural gas end uses in buildings to electricity.

Electrification means no natural gas, or nuclear power, or oil, or coal allowed. It means what it means...100% reliance on renewable sources, primarily wind and solar for our electric grid.

Here is another area where the need for debate is nonexistent. Where the economic science is settled, electrification will inevitably drive-up utility bills in California to the point where only affluent people will be able to afford to live here.

Moreover, notices from utility companies such as the one many of us received yesterday will become a common occurrence and not only when the risk of fire damaging the electric system is the risk.

There's simply no way, per the law of physics, to generate sufficient (24-hours a day) uninterrupted power for California's 40 million residents by relying 100% on renewable sources for our energy supply.

What California's businesses and working families need is a balanced energy portfolio consisting of renewables but also reliables. Solar is renewable, but natural gas is reliable.

Therefore, natural gas is California's most logical primary energy choice because it is not only safe, reliable, and plentiful; it is also very affordable.

Joe Armendariz is the Executive Director of the Santa Barbara County Taxpayers Association.

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