{"id":811052,"date":"2025-02-10T13:03:17","date_gmt":"2025-02-10T18:03:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/pge-to-customers-on-valentines-day-let-hearts-soar-not-metallic-balloons\/"},"modified":"2025-02-10T13:03:17","modified_gmt":"2025-02-10T18:03:17","slug":"pge-to-customers-on-valentines-day-let-hearts-soar-not-metallic-balloons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/pge-to-customers-on-valentines-day-let-hearts-soar-not-metallic-balloons\/","title":{"rendered":"PG&E To Customers: On Valentine’s Day, Let Hearts Soar, Not Metallic Balloons"},"content":{"rendered":"
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PR Newswire<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\n Roses are Red, Chocolate is Sweet.\u00a0
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\n Don’t Let Wayward Balloons Cause an Outage on Your Street
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\n OAKLAND, Calif.<\/span>
\n <\/span>, Feb. 10, 2025<\/span><\/span> \/PRNewswire\/ — More metallic balloons are sold for Valentine’s Day than any other holiday and, not surprisingly, it’s also around this time of year that Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) sees an uptick in outages caused by metallic balloons drifting into overhead power lines. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, PG&E reminds its customers to make sure metallic balloons are always tied to a weight \u2013\u00a0as required by\u00a0California\u00a0law<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 and to never release them outdoors.<\/p>\n

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In 2024, metallic balloons caused 369 power outages across PG&E’s service area in Northern and\u00a0Central California, disrupting electric service to more than 230,000 homes and businesses. Unlike latex helium balloons, metallic balloons can stay inflated and floating for two to three weeks \u2013 posing a hazard to power lines and equipment even days after being released outside.<\/p>\n

“On Valentine’s Day, nothing puts a damper on a romantic evening faster than a widespread power outage. If your February 14<\/span> plans include metallic balloons, please keep them tied down with a weight. If they contact our overhead lines they can disrupt electric service to an entire neighborhood, cause significant property damage and potentially result in serious injuries,” said Ron Richardson<\/span>, PG&E’s Vice President of Electric Distribution Operations.<\/p>\n

Here’s an example of what can happen when metallic balloons hit utility power lines: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zqFm52C1n5Q<\/a><\/p>\n

In order to significantly reduce the number of balloon-caused outages and to help ensure that everyone can safely enjoy their Valentine’s Day, PG&E reminds customers to follow these important safety tips for metallic balloons:<\/p>\n