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"PG&E Unplugged" used record winter power outages as a springboard to point out serious failing in the performance and regulation of the nation's largest electric utility company. It demonstrated that three prolonged blackouts, the worst of which cut off power to five million customers of pacific Gas & Electric Co., were due to factors other than the severe weather blamed by PG&E. Rather, utility cost-cutting seriously weakened its service reliability - an unanticipated outcome of one of the nation's first and boldest plans to deregulate the electric power industry. (May 19 - 21, 1996)