OAKLAND— Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) held a virtual wildfire safety forum with prevention plans for this year for Napa, Lake and Colusa County residents on Wednesday.
According to the utility’s customer strategy team, bold actions to reduce wildfire risk are being taken to respond to the state’s changing climate and for prevention from the start, making customers safer.
“We are building on the improvements made in 2021, reducing wildfire risk and preventing catastrophic wildfires by rebuilding and modernizing the utility system. We are minimizing customer impacts from programs like public safety power shutoffs and maximizing situational awareness by using new tools and technologies to reduce wildfire risks in real-time. PG&E is continuing to evolve the programs with a focus on customer safety and providing additional resources to prepare for wildfire season and outages,” said Melinda Rivera, public affairs representative in Lake and Sonoma Counties.
“We are conducting enhanced vegetation management and expanding our portable battery and our generator rebate programs to better support additional customers. We are also launching new communication tools, including a public safety power shutoff planning map that shows where improvements have taken place in our communities. With these changes, we are pumped to make sure that you have the tools and the resources you need,” she said.
“We are taking steps every day to improve the safety and reliability of our electric system, including managing trees and other vegetation located near power lines that could cause a wildfire or power outage, through a routine vegetation management program. It addresses vegetation that poses a higher potential for wildfire risk and high fire-threat areas,” said James Ash, supervisor for vegetation management
“Our enhanced vegetation management work exceeds state standards for minimum clearances around power lines, including trimming overhanging limbs, branches, and others above the powerlines. We conduct additional inspections beyond routine patrols to remove dead, diseased, dying, or defective trees that could harm powerlines or equipment; and we evaluate the condition of trees that may need to be addressed if they are tall enough to strike the lines or equipment,” said Tony Walls, vegetation management supervisor.
Utility officials said that once an outage occurs, customers can expect improved notifications and online information about its cause, and when the power should be restored. Those notifications will be sent via text, email, or automated calls. “We understand the impact that losing power has on our customers’ lives. We’re working hard to reduce the impact of outages that communities are experiencing,” said Rich Noonan, senior safety specialist. “For the safety of our customers and communities, public safety power shutoffs continue to be a necessary tool that we use as a last resort. High winds can cause tree branches and any other debris to contact energized electrolytes which can damage our equipment and then, cause wildfire. As a result, we may need to turn off power during severe weather events to help prevent wildfires. These events are always weather-driven, and they’re only called on when extreme weather and wildfire risk are present.”
Questions and concerns may be sent to the e-mail wildfiresafety@pge.com.
