The Weekly Calistogan
February 26, 2020
By Tim Carl and Mackenzie Carl
When power went out in Northern California during PG&E’s series of Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) last fall, thousands of households and businesses went dark. But a few kept their lights on – those with generators, and other sources of stored power, like the self-contained microgrid owned by Mac McQuown.
McQuown was ready for the moment the power went off. When it happened, he reached for his phone and pressed a few buttons. Seconds later, the lights sprang back to life.