(Bloomberg) -- The idea of a locally-run power grid is gaining momentum with New York joining the list of cities pondering a takeover of their privately run utilities in a bid for independence.

After Consolidated Edison Inc. left tens of thousands in the dark from two blackouts in eight days, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio suggested that the most-populous U.S. city might have to take it over. Meanwhile, San Francisco is considering bidding for the poles and wires owed within its borders by PG&E Corp., which filed for bankruptcy protection in January due to an estimated $30 billion in claims from fires caused by its equipment.

Other places pondering a locally run grid include San Francisco’s neighbor to the south, San Jose, and a local water agency in California. The city of Boulder, Colorado, has been in talks for years with incumbent utility Xcel Energy Inc. on an effort to buy the city’s electric distribution systems, which remains unresolved.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mark Chediak in San Francisco at mchediak@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Lynn Doan at ldoan6@bloomberg.net, Reg Gale, Will Wade

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