electric and gas service: recovery after disaster

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Electric and Gas Service: Recovery after DisasterAssociation of Bay Area GovernmentsInfrastructure Interdependencies Workshop

Jon FrischManager, Business Continuity & Emergency PlanningPG&E

January 31, 2012

Electric and Gas Service RestorationFollowing Disaster

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“The electric age ... established a global network that has much the character of our central nervous system.” - Marshall McLuhan

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Topics for This Discussion• Overview of Gas and Electric Systems

• What can go wrong in an earthquake?

• What are PG&E’s priorities after an earthquake?

• What can improve or interfere with PG&E’s ability to restore service?


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PG&E’s Service Territory• 141,215 circuit miles of

electric distribution lines

• 18,616 circuit miles of interconnected transmission lines.

• 42,141 miles of natural gas distribution pipelines

• 6,438 miles of transportation pipelines.

• 5.1 million electric customer accounts.

• 4.3 million natural gas customer accounts

• 20,000 employees


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PG&E’s Electric System


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Q: What can go wrong with the systems in an earthquake?A: It Depends! • Fault, epicenter, magnitude

• Time of day, day of week, season of year

• Extent of liquifaction, land-slides, subsidence

• Structural damage including building collapses, fires

• Adjacent infrastructure damage(water, sewer, roadways)


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Q: How quick can PG&E fix it?A: It Depends! • Logistics

– Personnel, equipment, and replacementpart availability

– Ability to get into damaged area

– Ability to communicate

• Environment– Frequency and size of aftershocks

– Ability to work safely

• System Specifics– Transmission comes before distribution (gas & electric)

– Gas takes potentially much longer than electric

– Below-ground takes longer than above-ground

– Need to balance electric load may create interim reliability problems


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What comes first?PG&E Priorities

• Protect health and welfare of the public and the responders

• Protect property of the public and the utility

• Restore service

• Keep constituencies informed

• Resume business as usual

Who gets their service back first?• It depends!

• Pre-defined critical need customers (e.g., hospitals, water pumping) have priority

• An operational decision

• Local concerns should be raised through liaison in EOC or SOC.


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Help PG&E help youContributory• Facilitate access

• Facilitate communication

• Repair surrounding infrastructure

• Liaison: – Coordinate messaging

– Keep PG&E informed on local government priorities, actions, and changes that impact us

– Communicate through established channels (follow the process)

• Recognize this will be a regional response

• Remember some issues are the property-owners, not PG&E’s

Interference• Avoid giving us conflicting

guidance

• Don’t take our stuff

• Don’t miscommunicate to the public about power or gas

• Share your toys if you can

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Thank You

Jon FrischBusiness Continuity & Emergency Planning

electric and gas service: recovery after disaster

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