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☆ PG&E Wins Approval to Bury More Than 1,200 Miles of Power Lines
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Katherine Blunt | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Workers preparing in September to bury electrical wire underground at a high-risk wildfire area in California. Photo: Preston Gannaway for The Wall Street JournalCalifornia regulators on Thursday gave PG&E approval to bury hundreds of miles of power lines to reduce wildfire risk in coming years, but the amount fell short of the company’s full request. The California Public Utilities Commission voted to allow company to bury 1,230 miles of power lines between 2023 and 2026 in a process known as undergrounding. The company, whose power lines have ignited numerous deadly fires in recent years, had requested permission to bury roughly 2,000 miles over that period to essentially eliminate fire risk on those circuits.

Persons: Preston Gannaway Organizations: Wall Street Journal, California Public Utilities Commission Locations: California, Wall Street Journal California

☆ California regulator allows PG&E rate hike for wildfire mitigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The state's biggest utility, PG&E, serves more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. The APD set the 2023 revenue requirement at $13.52 billion, reflecting an 11% increase from 2022. According to the regulator, customers would see an increase of $32.62 on their bills, compared with PG&E's request of $38.73. One of the main wildfire mitigation efforts PG&E has been undertaking is undergrounding, or burying power lines. This lessens the need for public safety power shutoffs — a last resort during dry, windy conditions to reduce the risk of sparking a wildfire.

Persons: Seher, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: California Public Utilities Commission, Pacific Gas, E, Thomson Locations: Northern, Central California, powerlines, Bengaluru

But consumer advocacy groups complained, arguing PG&E could save ratepayers money and still reduce wildfire risk by putting a protective covering over the power lines instead of burying them. Commissioners decided to let PG&E bury 1,230 miles (1,979 kilometers) of power lines, which would be $1.7 billion cheaper than PG&E's proposal. For low-income customers who qualify for discounted rates, PG&E said typical monthly bills will increase by $21.50 next year, followed by a $3 per month increase in 2025 before decreasing by $5.50 per month in 2026. The turning point for PG&E came in 2018 when a windstorm knocked down one of its power lines in the Sierra Nevada foothills that started a wildfire. The company has pledged to bury 10,000 miles (16,093 kilometers) of power lines over the next decade.

Persons: ”, John Reynolds, Patti Poppe, undergrounding powerlines, Gavin Newsom, ratepayers, Darcie Houck, Cheryl Maynard Organizations: Pacific Gas & Electric, California Public Utilities Commission, Reform Network, E, Democratic Gov, & $ Locations: SACRAMENTO, Calif, California, Sierra Nevada

☆ Why burying power lines is an effective, but very expensive way to prevent wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Katie Brigham | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Five years ago, PG&E's equipment sparked the deadly Camp Fire, which destroyed the town of Paradise, California, and killed 85 people. But just a year later, in the same county, PG&E's equipment started another catastrophic fire, prompting the utility to announce its extensive undergrounding plan. The utility has undergrounded 350 miles of power lines so far this year, and more than 600 miles since 2021. While Martin says moving power lines underground reduces ignition risk by 98%, it comes at a steep cost. The bill would be footed by PG&E's customers, who already face some of the highest rates in the nation.

Persons: Jamie Martin, Martin, Katy Morsony, Morsony, Daniel Kirschen, Kirschen Organizations: Pacific Gas and, undergrounding, California Public Utilities Commission, Reform, University of Washington Locations: California, Maui, Paradise , California

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