Public
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
City of Richmond Local Government Forum
November 7, 2023
Public
Safety
Preparedness Tips
Always be prepared in case of a
natural disaster or an emergency
Build a disaster supply kit for you,
your family or your business
Be sure to include food, water,
medication, flashlights, first aid kits, a
list of emergency contacts and more
Visit safetyactioncenter.pge.com to
help prepare for an emergency
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3Some of the measures included in this presentation are contemplated as additional precautionary measures intended to further reduce the risk of wildfires.
Topics For Discussion
1 PG&E Projects In Your Community
2 Identifying and Reducing Wildfire Risk
3 Vegetation Management
4 Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings
5 Public Safety Power Shutoffs
6 Customer Resources
7 Open Discussion
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PG&E Projects
In Your Community
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Identifying and Reducing
Wildfire Risk
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6Some of the measures included in this presentation are contemplated as additional precautionary measures intended to further reduce the risk of wildfires.
Wildfire Risk in the City of Richmond
PG&E’s high fire-risk area
map helps us target wildfire
mitigation efforts in the
areas and communities at
highest risk.
High fire-risk area
City of Richmond
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7Some of the measures included in this presentation are contemplated as additional precautionary measures intended to further reduce the risk of wildfires.
Layers of Wildfire Protection
Using the latest technologies
and equipment
Keeping trees and branches
away from powerlines
Installing stronger powerlines
and poles
Ensuring safety with enhanced
protection and temporary outages
Undergrounding 10,000 miles of
powerlines in highest fire-risk areas
Together,
These layers
reduce wildfire
risk from
equipment
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8Some of the measures included in this presentation are contemplated as additional precautionary measures intended to further reduce the risk of wildfires.
Situational Awareness in the City of Richmond
3 High-definition cameras
installed through 2022
Data as of 09/15/2023. Locations are approximate and may overlap.
To better predict and respond to
wildfire risk and severe weather
around the clock, we built the
largest utility-owned weather
monitoring network in the country.
Customers can view our interactive
weather map at pge.com/weather
High fire-risk area
Weather stations
City of Richmond
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Vegetation Management
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10Some of the measures included in this presentation are contemplated as additional precautionary measures intended to further reduce the risk of wildfires.
Keeping Trees Away from Powerlines
When trees are too close
to powerlines, they can cause
a power outage or a wildfire.
That’s why each year we:
Inspect ~100,000 miles of powerlines
Trim or cut down more than 1 million
trees that pose a safety concern
Address dead, dying or hazard trees
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11Some of the measures included in this presentation are contemplated as additional precautionary measures intended to further reduce the risk of wildfires.
Tree Work in Your Community
Non-High
Fire-Threat Districts
High
Fire-Threat Districts
Work
Year-round vegetation
work to meet state
standards
Year-round work plus
additional inspections,
tree-trimming/removals
and clearance
Safety
Clearance
Minimum of 1.5-feet
around the line
Minimum of 4-feet
around the line
Powerline
Miles* 349 16
High Fire-Threat District (HFTD) Map
The California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) High Fire-Threat District (HFTD) map designates areas most at risk for wildfire.
Tier 3 – Extreme
Tier 2 – Elevated
The City of Richmond
*Data is approximate
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12Some of the measures included in this presentation are contemplated as additional precautionary measures intended to further reduce the risk of wildfires.
Sending advance notifications to impacted
property owners before work begins
Inspecting for potential safety concerns
Trimming or cutting down trees as needed
for safety
Chipping small debris and placing larger
wood in a safe location on site
Conducting safety and quality checks
through follow-up inspections
What to Expect During this Work
1 2
3 4
5 Public
Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings
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14Some of the measures included in this presentation are contemplated as additional precautionary measures intended to further reduce the risk of wildfires.
How It Works
Turning off power within one-tenth of a second if
a tree branch or other object strikes the line.
Why We Do It
Stopping wildfires
before they have a
chance to start.
SAFETY SETTINGS IN ACTION IN NAPA COUNTY
Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings: A Technology To Prevent Wildfires Data is approximate; *Based on 2022 performance for CPUC-reportable ignitions in HFTD compared to 2018-2020 weather-normalized performance; **Relative to the 2018-2020 average
68%
99%
reduction in
fire size**
68%
reduction in
ignitions*
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15Some of the measures included in this presentation are contemplated as additional precautionary measures intended to further reduce the risk of wildfires.
Safety Settings, Step-By-Step
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16Some of the measures included in this presentation are contemplated as additional precautionary measures intended to further reduce the risk of wildfires.
What Customers Can Expect
Customers can find information on the status of an outage and the restoration process at pge.com/outages
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Public Safety Power Shutoffs
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18Some of the measures included in this presentation are contemplated as additional precautionary measures intended to further reduce the risk of wildfires.
What is a Public Safety Power Shutoff?
High winds can cause tree
branches and debris to contact
energized electric lines,
damage our equipment and
cause a wildfire.
To prevent wildfires, we may
need to turn off power as a
last resort.
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19Some of the measures included in this presentation are contemplated as additional precautionary measures intended to further reduce the risk of wildfires.
What Conditions Could Lead to a PSPS?
Low humidity
levels of 30%
and below
Forecasted high
winds above
19 mph and gusts
above 30-40 mph
Condition of dry
material on the
ground and low
moisture content
of vegetation
A Red Flag
Warning issued
by the National
Weather Service
On-the-ground,
real-time
observations
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20Some of the measures included in this presentation are contemplated as additional precautionary measures intended to further reduce the risk of wildfires.
Warning
Watch
How Are Customers Notified for a PSPS?
Automated calls, texts and emails
(available in 16 languages).
We will also use pge.com, social media and
will inform local news and radio.
How We’ll Notify
@pacificgasandelectric
@PGE4Me
@pacificgasandelectric
Enroll at: pge.com/addressalerts
How To Receive Notifications
For Any Address
Annual registration is required.
Anyone can sign up for address
alerts in 16 languages to receive
PSPS notifications for any location,
such as their work or child’s school.
When We’ll Notify
48-24 hours before power is turned off
4-1 hours before power is turned off
When power is turned off
After weather has passed
If estimated restoration time changes
Daily until power has been restored
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21Some of the measures included in this presentation are contemplated as additional precautionary measures intended to further reduce the risk of wildfires.
Differences Between Safety Settings and PSPS
Some of the measures included in this presentation are contemplated as additional precautionary measures intended to further reduce the risk of wildfires.
Updates and information for both planned and unplanned outages: pge.com/outages Enhanced Powerline
Safety Settings (EPSS)
Public Safety Power
Shutoffs (PSPS)
WHY
Automatically turning off power within one-
tenth of a second if a problem is detected on
the line
Proactively turning off power to prevent tree
branches and debris from contacting
energized lines
WHEN
Elevated wildfire risk is present, most likely
from May to November, but can occur
year-round
During times of high winds, low humidity and
dry vegetation
NOTIFICATIONS
Regular updates after the outage occurs;
advance notice cannot be provided because
these are reactive and automatic settings
In advance through automated calls, texts,
and emails with updates provided until power
is restored
vs.
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Customer Resources
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23Some of the measures included in this presentation are contemplated as additional precautionary measures intended to further reduce the risk of wildfires.
Portable Battery Program
Supporting eligible customers with fully subsidized portable battery solutions pge.com/portablebattery Generator and Battery Rebate Program
Rebates for eligible customers to purchase a qualified generator or battery pge.com/backuppower Self-Generation Incentive Program
Rebates to help customers save on energy storage systems for their business pge.com/sgip Disability Disaster Access and Resources
Emergency preparedness planning, portable batteries, and support for customers requiring additional accommodations
pge.com/ddar
Fixed Power Solutions
Permanent, long-term backup power solutions for the most impacted customers pge.com/residentialstorageinitiative Customer Resources and Support for PSPS Outages and EPSS
EXPANDED ACCESS
EXPANDED ACCESS
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24Some of the measures included in this presentation are contemplated as additional precautionary measures intended to further reduce the risk of wildfires.
Customer Resources
Dedicated wildfire safety contacts: Hotline: 1-866-743-6589 | Email: [email protected] Information on wildfire
prevention efforts
Wildfire Safety
pge.com/wildfiresafety
Free and confidential
support and resources via
calls or texts to 211
California
Network of 211
211ca.org
Submit photos of
non-emergency potential
safety concerns
Report It App
pge.com/reportit
Create an emergency
safety plan to keep you
and your family safe
Safety Action Center
safetyactioncenter.pge.com
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Open Discussion
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Thank You