One of the U.S.’s longest standing pieces of environmental legislation, credited with helping save rare whales from extinction, is the subject of an effort for cutbacks from Republican lawmakers who now feel they have the political will to do so.

Pacific Gas & Electric has cut power to portions of Northern California hoping to prevent wildfires during hot, windy weather throughout the region. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)SAN FRANCISCO – Thousands of people in Northern California remained without power Friday after a utility cut off service to prevent powerful winds from damaging equipment and sparking wildfires amid a fall heat wave. PG&E began cutting power Wednesday evening as the first wind event began. The weather service issued heat advisories through Friday, with temperatures expected to reach triple digits in many parts of the state. Scientists have said climate change has made California much drier, meaning trees and other plants are more flammable.

Pacific Gas & Electric has cut power to portions of Northern California hoping to prevent wildfires during hot, windy weather throughout the region. Some restorations began Thursday afternoon, and by evening the number of customers without power was about 30,000, the utility said. Many in wine country north of San Francisco were feeling drained by what seems like a never-ending wildfire season in the region. ___This story has been corrected to show massive power outages happened in 2019, not 2018, and affected 2 million people, not 5 million. ___Associated Press writer Jocelyn Gecker in San Francisco also contributed to this story.