PG&E seeks major federal loan to meet soaring demand for electricity - San Francisco Chronicle
PG&E seeks major federal loan to meet soaring demand for electricity
A PG&E worker watches as a machine removes dirt from a trench in preparation for underground utility lines in the Coffey Park neighborhood of Santa Rosa in 2018. PG&E is seeking a federal loan that would in part pay for underground utility lines, which help prevent wildfires and increase electrical capacity. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is seeking billions of dollars in federal loans to help the company meet the growing demand for electricity and prevent wildfires.
Californians are increasingly ditching gasoline cars and gas-fired appliances for electric models, but the pace threatens to outstrip PG&E’s ability to serve customers, drawing widespread concerns about delayed electrical connections for desperately needed new housing.
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: electricity
Electricity is a secondary energy source: it is generated through the conversion of primary energy sources such as natural gas, coal, solar, hydropower, and wind. Electricity’s versatility is not cost-free: a substantial amount of energy is lost in its generation and the cost of storage is high, compared with fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas. The economics of battery technology hold the key to expanded use of renewable sources to generate electricity.