LAKE COUNTY- A PG&E spokesperson said this week that the utility has been working on four distribution microgrids and three substation-based microgrids in Lake County. They are aiming to have the three substations completed by the beginning of next month, in time for the balance of the ongoing fire season in the region and in anticipation of any Public Safety Power Shut-offs.
“PG&E is continuing to evolve and improve to keep our customers safe and reduce the impacts of PSPS events,” noted Deanna Contreras, adding, “There is no single solution to reducing the risk of wildfires. That is why we are continuing to upgrade the electric grid by hardening power lines to reduce wildfire risks, and installing sectionalizing devices to narrow the scope of PSPS events so fewer customers are without power.”
Contreras noted that PG&E is piloting new technologies that detect threats to the electric grid and rapidly reduce or shut off power, thus reducing the need for larger PSPS events in addition to installing microgrids that use generators to keep the electricity on during PSPS events.
Substation-based microgrids
“We are working to pre‐interconnect and test temporary generation at 10 substations (three in Lake County) with the highest likelihood of experiencing a PSPS. This way, the generation can quickly be utilized during a PSPS-related outage,” Contreras said.
The PG&E spokesperson also noted that the utility is also planning to increase their use of renewable diesel to power temporary diesel generation at substations. According to Contreras, PG&E worked to ensure that the mobile diesel generators reserved are capable of running on a type of renewable diesel in the form of hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO), the combustion of which generally results in lower life cycle emissions of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants than fossil diesel. “All of the generators PG&E has procured are California Air Resource Board’s (CARB) certified and registered under the state’s Portable Equipment Registration Program (PERP.)”
According to the utility, for 2021, PG&E is working to prepare 10 substations for pre-interconnected and tested temporary generation. Three of them are in Lake County and PG&E is aiming to complete these sites by August 1:
PG&E’s Clearlake substation that’s located in Kelseyville between Kelseyville and Lakeport. The address is 1085 Big Valley Road (The area within the scope would keep 4,257 customers energized located in the Finley /Kelseyville area and Southern end of Lakeport would be also be in the scope)
PG&E’s Hartley Substation in Lakeport at 3217 Hill Road (The area within the scope would keep 3,048 customers energized).
PG&E’s Konocti Substation in Kelseyville in Lake County address is 9941 CA-281 (would help keep 4,839 customers energized in the south end of Kelseyville).
Contreras noted that these substations have been chosen for temporary generation based on a 10-year analysis of historical weather events. This historical lookback takes past weather events and builds the associated PSPS events (based on the revised PSPS models and tools available in Fall 2020) that would have occurred, including both transmission and distribution‐line impacts.
PG&E is working to pre-interconnect and test generation in the three substations over the next several weeks, with the goal of having them ready to energize by August 1. The generation will remain interconnected at the locations through the end of the year.
Distribution Microgrids
PG&E is deploying distribution microgrids in partnership with local communities. These projects support frequently impacted communities by keeping “main street” corridors on during PSPS events and serving critical and shared resources such as fire and police stations, medical facilities, grocery stores, gas stations, and government facilities. In addition to generators that run on diesel or renewable diesel fuel, PG&E is also exploring piloting diesel-alternative generation technologies at limited distribution microgrid locations, including a site in Angwin.
“As we’ve discussed before,” Contreras said, “there are four distribution microgrids in Lake County that are under development” They are:
Clearlake North
Readied in a temporary configuration in November 2020 (was on standby for December 2020 and January 2021 PSPS events), the Clearlake North distribution microgrid site is located in the parking lot of the PG&E Customer Service Office at 14730 Olympic Drive in Clearlake. PG&E took the site offline to do more undergrounding work and hardening work around this microgrid with a goal of having it ready to energize by the end of 2021.
The site will keep a police station, a fire station, a pharmacy, gas stations, restaurants, markets, dental offices and medical facilities, among other businesses, community services and residences energized during future PSPS events impacting the area. The Clearlake North microgrid energization area includes approximately 3,200 customers in the communities surrounding Old Highway 53, west of Highway 53.
Clearlake South
Readied in a temporary configuration in November 2020 and is ready to be used if necessary (was on standby for December 2020 and January 2021 PSPS events), the Clearlake South microgrid site is located in the parking lot of the Lake County Campus of Woodland College off of the Dam Road Extension. PG&E took the site offline to do more undergrounding work and hardening work around this microgrid with a goal of having all of the upgrades completed and energized by the end of 2021.
The site will keep Adventist Health Clearlake, the Lake County Superior Court, the Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College, restaurants and markets, among other businesses and community services energized during future PSPS events impacting the area. The Clearlake South microgrid energization area includes approximately 35 customers in the vicinity of the Dam Road Extension, south of 18th Avenue and east of Highway 53.
Lucerne
The distribution microgrid in Lucerne is located at 6325 East Highway 20. PG&E started construction on this microgrid this year with a goal of having it ready to energize by the end of 2021.
The site will keep markets, schools, water agencies and gas stations, among other businesses, community services and residences energized during future PSPS events impacting the area. The Lucerne microgrid energization area includes approximately 900 PG&E customers centered around Highway 20 (between Foothill Drive to the north and 16th Street to the south) and extending to Country Club Drive to the east.
Middletown
The site will keep medical facilities, schools, banks, restaurants, markets and gas stations, among other businesses, community services and residences energized during future PSPS events impacting the area. The Middletown microgrid energization area includes approximately 400 PG&E customers centered around Main Street/Highway 175 and extending from Sacramento Avenue in the west to Jefferson and Douglas Street in the southeast, bounded by Putah Creek to the northwest. PG&E anticipates the site will be ready to energize by late Summer.
