Californians who haven’t paid their utility bills will be protected from power shut offs if temperatures reach 90-degrees or above.The California Public Utilities Commission voted to approve the new standard late last week.
The new standard drops the shut off threshold by 10 degrees.
Before the CPUC’s vote, utilities could shut off power for delinquent customers even if it was 100 degrees outside.
The commission wrote that the temperature threshold for shut offs needs to be more protective, accounting for regional differences in heat tolerance and more.
While a 90-degree day might be routine in dry, inland cities like Bakersfield or Fresno, it could be dangerous in coastal or mountainous communities, where fewer homes have air conditioning and people are less acclimated to the heat.