We Energies crews in California helping restore power after storms

MILWAUKEE - Nearly 50 people from We Energies and its sister company Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) are in California working to get the lights back on for tens of thousands of people who lost power from a series of strong storms. 

According to a press release, the We Energies and WPS crews are part of a mutual aid effort to help Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) address outages from storms, flooding and mudslides. The crews loaded their trucks and left Wisconsin Saturday, Jan. 7. After traveling across the country, they are in California today and beginning restoration efforts in the central part of the state.

"Here at We Energies and WPS, we're a pretty tightknit family, and we want to help. Being a part of a restoration effort like this is really amazing. These guys are so proud to be able to come to California and help the customers here," Amy Plato, an area manager for We Energies.

JANUARY 10: One lane blocked after landslide on Highway 17 in Santa Cruz on January 10, 2023 as atmospheric river storms hit California, United States. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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We Energies and WPS have a history of providing mutual aid during large outage events. The companies sent crews to Puerto Rico for two months in 2018 to help rebuild the U.S. territory’s electric grid after the unprecedented destruction caused by Hurricane Maria.