Power shutoffs:
State utilities commission weighs rules for wildfire-prevention tool.
California regulators agreed Thursday to create new rules for when utilities turn off electricity to prevent wildfires but cautioned that intentional blackouts are not a panacea to eliminate the ever-worsening conflagrations ravaging the state.
The plan approved by the California Public Utilities Commission sets forth an extensive process through which regulators will examine how companies like Pacific Gas and Electric Co. decide when dangerous weather conditions require cutting power to some of their customers.
Commission President Michael Picker set cautious expectations about the new rules, but described them as a necessary regulatory measure.
“I don’t think we’ll have a perfect set of rules right away,” Picker said during a meeting of the agency in San Francisco, adding, “We can’t keep doing the same thing in dealing with these growing hazards.”
The practice of turning off power lines during dangerous conditions, known as de-energization, has been used for years by San Diego Gas & Electric Co. PG&E did it for the first time in October, when it turned off electricity in parts of several Northern California counties.
PG&E’s first effort proved controversial. Some residents and county officials voiced frustration with the disruptive step and the way the utility communicated its plans.
The utility announced in early November it would cut electricity again in some places, including Butte County, in anticipation of high winds and dry conditions. But it decided not to follow through. The Camp Fire broke out the same day, killing at least 86 people and destroying nearly 14,000 homes, and may have been sparked by power equipment.
The cause of the Camp Fire is still under investigation. PG&E has acknowledged that one of its transmission towers near the origin point was damaged and the power line there malfunctioned just before the fire began. The 115,000-volt transmission line would not have been included in the power shutoff program because it exceeds the voltage limits for the program. But the utility has also reported problems in the Camp Fire area along a lower-voltage distribution line.
Commissioner Clifford Rechtschaffen acknowledged some of the problems that can arise when utilities cut electricity, particularly for people who need access to power for medical reasons.
“People feel like deenergization disrupts and even endangers their lives,” he said.
But part of the commission’s intent in moving forward with the new rules is to develop a broader set of standards for how and when the state’s regulated utilities make the controversial decision to turn off power.
PG&E had no comment beyond an e-mail sent to The Chronicle last week, saying the company supports regulators’ “continued efforts in looking into this critical issue and examining the rules for proactively de-energizing power lines.” Spokesman Paul Doherty has previously acknowledged that power shutoffs can be disruptive to food supplies and medical equipment, among other areas, and said it is used only as a “last resort during extreme weather conditions to reduce the risk of wildfire.”
Doherty’s statement said that PG&E is “continuously evolving and adapting” its electric system and practices to “further improve safety and reliability.” The company has solicited feedback about the October shutoffs and is “in the process of making both short- and longer-term modifications to our protocols,” Doherty said.
Regulators will be seeking public input about intentional power shutoffs, including during a Friday workshop in Santa Rosa.
Commissioners said they will look at the conditions under which planned blackouts occur, and consider whether they should limit the practice in certain ways and whether they should set guidelines for when intentionally cutting power is appropriate. Commissioners also will look at how utilities coordinate with first responders at the local and state levels, among other issues.
The commission expects a proposed decision on de-energization rules sometime next summer, with a final decision later in the season.