press clippings - farmers conservation...
TRANSCRIPT
PRESS CLIPPINGS
JULY 2019
7/23/2019 PG&E Braces for Power Cuts; Tesla, Others See an Opening - WSJ
https://www.wsj.com/articles/pg-e-braces-for-power-cuts-and-rival-providers-see-an-opening-11563193150 1/4
Thiscopyisforyourpersonal,non-commercialuseonly.Toorderpresentation-readycopiesfordistributiontoyourcolleagues,clientsorcustomersvisithttps://www.djreprints.com.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/pg-e-braces-for-power-cuts-and-rival-providers-see-an-opening-11563193150
TECH
PG&EBracesforPowerCuts;Tesla,OthersSeeanOpeningRivalsaretoutingalternativesasCaliforniafacesplannedblackoutsduetowildfirerisk
PG&ECorp.’splantopre-emptivelyturnoffpowerinpartsofCaliforniatolimitwildfirerisksiscreatingbusinessopportunitiesforalternativeenergycompaniesthatsaytheycankeepthelightson.
Homesolar,batteryandfuelcellprovidersincludingTeslaInc.andBloomEnergyCorp.aretargetingcustomersinNorthernCaliforniaandappealingtostateregulatorstoboostincentivesfortherolloutoftheirtechnology.Whilesomeacknowledgethatnewenergyprojectsaren’tauniversalsolutiontocontrolledblackouts,theyareusingPG&E’sstrugglestohighlightalternativepossibilities.
PG&Ehassaiditwouldselectivelypullthepluginanareathatishometo5.4millionpeopleforaslongasfivedayswhenhot,drywindsheightentheriskofitspowerlinessparkingmore
fires.StateinvestigatorstiedPG&Eequipmentto19majorwildfiresin2017and2018,andinJanuarythecompanysoughtbankruptcyprotection,citingmorethan$30billioninpotentialliabilitycosts.
CompaniesseekingtocapitalizeonPG&E’sstrategysayitistooearlytoquantifythepotentialboosttobusinessbutexpectinteresttoincreaseastheblackoutsbecomemorefrequent.
July15,20198�19amET
ByKatherineBlunt
RELATED
PG&EKnewforYearsItsLinesCouldSparkWildfires,andDidn’tFixThem(July10)
PG&E’sRadicalPlantoPreventWildfires:ShutDownthePowerGrid(April27)
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7/23/2019 PG&E Braces for Power Cuts; Tesla, Others See an Opening - WSJ
https://www.wsj.com/articles/pg-e-braces-for-power-cuts-and-rival-providers-see-an-opening-11563193150 2/4
RooftopsolarcompanySunrunInc.,basedinSanFrancisco,anticipatesaslowbutsteadyincreaseintheadoptionofitssolarandstorageproducts.Morethan40%ofthecompany’scustomersliveinCalifornia,anditisadvertisinginhigh-riskfireareas,wherePG&Ehaswarnedresidentstopreparefordayslongoutages,SunrunChiefExecutiveLynnJurichsaid.
“It’sgoingtobeaverygoodlong-termtailwindforthebusiness,”Ms.Jurichsaid.
Onitswebsite,SunrunpointstoPG&E’sstrategyasareasontoinstallsolarandbatterysystems.Italsohasaskedtheutilitytofeaturethoseoptionsinitscommunicationswithcustomersaboutpurchasingbackupgenerationinpreparationforpossibleoutages.
PG&Eisn’ttheonlyCaliforniautilitywithplanstocutpowerasawaytostemwildfirerisk,thoughthescaleofitsproposalisunmatched.EdisonInternational’sSouthernCalifornia
EdisonandSempraEnergy’sSanDiegoGas&Electrichavebothdeployedthestrategyinpartsoftheirserviceterritoriesinrecentyears.Asaresult,manyutilitycustomershavealreadyoutfittedtheirhomesandbusinesseswithgenerators,whichtypicallyrunonpropane,naturalgasordieselfuel.
Cleanenergycompaniesarenowtoutingtheirproductsasgreener,moreadvancedoptions.BatteriessuchasthoseofferedbyTeslaandSunrunhavebeenslowtocatchoninCalifornia’sresidentialsolarmarket,inpartbecausetheyarerelativelycostly.Butthecompaniessaytheyhaveseenanuptickininterestinrecentmonths.
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7/23/2019 PG&E Braces for Power Cuts; Tesla, Others See an Opening - WSJ
https://www.wsj.com/articles/pg-e-braces-for-power-cuts-and-rival-providers-see-an-opening-11563193150 3/4
JustinMontague,37yearsold,decidedtoinstallTeslasolarpanelsandbatteriescalledPowerwallsathishomenorthofCalistoga,Calif.,earlierthisyear,afterreceivingaletterfromPG&Ewarningthathecouldbewithoutpowerfordaysthiswildfireseason.
HeandhiswifeweatheredablackoutinOctoberwhentheutilitycutpowertohishomeinitsfirstpre-emptiveaction.Thecompany’sdecisionleftseveralsmallcommunitiesinthedarkforabouttwodays,andMr.MontaguesaiditforcedthecoupleandtheirtwoyoungchildrentoseekrefugeinahotelaboutanhourawayinSantaRosa.
Toavoidarepeatofthatexperience,hepurchasedasolarandbatterysystemforabout$54,000,partiallyoffsetbyafederaltaxcredit.Heexpectsthesystemtopayforitselfinamatterofyearsandkeeptheelectricityandairconditioningrunningintheeventofablackout.
“Wejustcan’tfunctionwithoutthat,”hesaid.“Withtwolittlekidsandthetemperaturesuphere,howareyousupposedtolive?”
BloomEnergyispitchingadifferentsolutionprimarilyaimedatlargebusinessesinneedofround-the-clockpowerfordataandmanufacturingcenters.Thecompany’sfuelcells,whichhookintothenatural-gaspipelinesystem,canoperateasislandsofelectricitywhensurroundingareasgodark.
Afterlivingthroughapre-emptiveblackoutlastOctober,Mr.Montaguedecidedtopurchaseasolarandbatterysystemforhisfamily’shome.PHOTO:CAYCECLIFFORDFORTHEWALLSTREETJOURNAL
7/23/2019 PG&E Braces for Power Cuts; Tesla, Others See an Opening - WSJ
https://www.wsj.com/articles/pg-e-braces-for-power-cuts-and-rival-providers-see-an-opening-11563193150 4/4
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“Wehaveneverdealtwiththeparadigmofdays’worthofoutages,”saidKRSridhar,CEOofBloom,whichsuppliesfuelcellspoweredbynaturalgasandbiogastocompaniessuchasAlphabetInc.’sGoogleandAdobeInc.
Tesla,SunrunandBloomhaveaskedtheCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommissiontoexpandstateincentivesfortechnologyusedforindividuallygeneratedpower.
Tesla,whichsaidithasbeenfieldingmoreinterestinitssolarandbatterysystems,toldtheCPUCinMaythatexpandingtheprogramcouldhelpthestate“grapplewiththeextraordinarychallengesassociatedwithCaliforniawildfires.”
InlateMay,PG&Eweighedin,acknowledgingthatbatteriesandothersourcesofpowergenerationcould“helpaddressCalifornia’smostpressingissue,wildfireresiliency.”Itrecommendedthatregulatorsadoptextraincentivesforutilitycustomersmostvulnerabletoapre-emptiveshut-off.
PG&EpulledtheplugforthefirsttimethisyearinJune,blackingout22,000customersinwinecountryandtheSierraNevadafoothillsaftertheNationalWeatherServiceissuedared-flagwarningsignalinghighfiredanger.
Bloom,whichwentpubliclastyear,recentlywarnedbusinessownersthattheyshouldprepareforthepossibilityofashut-off.
“Howwouldyoukeepyourbusinessrunningifyouhadnoelectricityforfivedaysormore?”thecompanysaidinapostonitswebsite.“That’saquestioneveryCaliforniabusinessleadershouldbethinkingabout.”
AppearedintheJuly16,2019,printeditionas'PG&EBlackoutPlanEnergizesRivals.'
SANFRANCISCO—AfederaljudgeinSanFranciscoonWednesdayorderedSANFRANCISCO—AfederaljudgeinSanFranciscoonWednesdayorderedPG&ECo.torespond“paragraphbyparagraph”toaWallStreetJournalarticlePG&ECo.torespond“paragraphbyparagraph”toaWallStreetJournalarticlethatallegestheutilityknewforyearsthatpartsofitsagingtransmissionlinesthatallegestheutilityknewforyearsthatpartsofitsagingtransmissionlinescouldfailandsparkfires,butfailedtofixthem.couldfailandsparkfires,butfailedtofixthem.
U.S.DistrictJudgeWilliamAlsupisoverseeingPG&E’sprobationinacriminalU.S.DistrictJudgeWilliamAlsupisoverseeingPG&E’sprobationinacriminalpipelinesafetycaseandaspartofthatsupervisionhasissuedordersrelatedtopipelinesafetycaseandaspartofthatsupervisionhasissuedordersrelatedtofireriskfromPG&E’selectricitysystem.fireriskfromPG&E’selectricitysystem.
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FederaljudgeordersPG&EtoFederaljudgeordersPG&Etorespond,pointbypoint,torespond,pointbypoint,tonewspaperarticleaboutsafetynewspaperarticleaboutsafetyJuristdemands“afresh,forthrightstatementJuristdemands“afresh,forthrightstatementowninguptothetrueextent”ofwhatcompanyowninguptothetrueextent”ofwhatcompanyknewknew
22
ByByBAYCITYNEWSSERVICEBAYCITYNEWSSERVICE|MercuryNews|MercuryNewsPUBLISHED:PUBLISHED:July10,2019at8:05pmJuly10,2019at8:05pm|UPDATED:|UPDATED:July11,2019at4:16amJuly11,2019at4:16am
AlsupalsoorderedPG&Etostateinaseparate10-pageresponsewhyitAlsupalsoorderedPG&Etostateinaseparate10-pageresponsewhyitdistributedalmost$5billionindividendstoshareholdersbeforeseekingdistributedalmost$5billionindividendstoshareholdersbeforeseekingChapter11bankruptcyprotectioninJanuary,atatimewhenitallegedlyknewofChapter11bankruptcyprotectioninJanuary,atatimewhenitallegedlyknewofitsbacklogofhazardoustreesnearwires.itsbacklogofhazardoustreesnearwires.
AlsupdirectedPG&Etofile“afresh,forthrightstatementowninguptothetrueAlsupdirectedPG&Etofile“afresh,forthrightstatementowninguptothetrueextentoftheWallStreetJournalreport”byJuly31.Theresponsecanbeupto40extentoftheWallStreetJournalreport”byJuly31.Theresponsecanbeupto40pageslong.ThenewsarticlewaspublishedWednesday.pageslong.ThenewsarticlewaspublishedWednesday.
PG&EspokesmanJamesNoonansaid,“Weareawareofthecourt’sorderandarePG&EspokesmanJamesNoonansaid,“Weareawareofthecourt’sorderandarecurrentlyreviewingit.”Noonanadded,“PG&E’smostimportantresponsibilitycurrentlyreviewingit.”Noonanadded,“PG&E’smostimportantresponsibilityisthesafetyofourcustomersandthecommunitiesweserve.”isthesafetyofourcustomersandthecommunitiesweserve.”
TheutilitymustalsosayinthesecondfilinghowmuchmoneyithasTheutilitymustalsosayinthesecondfilinghowmuchmoneyithascontributedtopoliticalcampaignssince2017and“whythosecampaigncontributedtopoliticalcampaignssince2017and“whythosecampaigncontributionsweremoreimportant”thanrepairingaginglinesandremovingcontributionsweremoreimportant”thanrepairingaginglinesandremovinghazardoustrees.hazardoustrees.
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ByThomasFullerandIvanPenn
July22,2019
CLEARLAKE,Calif.—Twothousandhomeslostandtwo-thirdsofthelandburned:TheresidentsofLakeCounty,asparselypopulatedareanorthofNapaValley,understandbetterthanmostthedevastatingcostofwildfiresinrecentyears.
YetfewpeopleinLakeCounty,orinmanyotherfire-pronepartsofCalifornia,couldhaveanticipatedthemillionstheyarenowspendingthissummeronwildfires,evenbeforethefirstbigoneignites.
Insurancerateshavesoaredinsomeoftheriskiestplaces,andsomeinsurersarerefusingtorenewpolicies.LakeCountypoliticiansarefrettingoverthemorethan$700,000thecountyisspendingtoinstallbackuppowergeneratorsforthecourthouse,sheriff’sdepartmentandothergovernmentbuildings.Thegeneratorsarenecessarybecausethepowercompanyhasannouncedthatthisyearitwillturnoffthepowerwhenfireriskishigh.
“It’salotofmoneyforus,butIreallyfeelwedon’thaveachoice,”saidDennisDarling,whoownsasupermarketinthetownofClearlakeandispaying$100,000toinstallagenerator.“Everyyearwehavethesehellaciousfires.”
ThearrivalofthepeakfireseasoninCalifornia—atimeofuninterruptedsunshine,hotwindsandcrackling-dryvegetation—hasthestateonedge.Ateverylevel,peoplearescramblingtoprepare,fromtoppoliticiansandofficialstoordinaryresidentsofLakeCounty,acommunityof64,000peoplewithincomesaroundhalftheCaliforniaaverage.
California,WaryofMoreWildfires,IsPayingforThemAlready
Gov.GavinNewsomsignedabillearlierthismonthtoprovideupto$21billionincompensationforfuturewildfirevictims.InMarch,heannouncedemergencymeasurestomanageforestsinvulnerableareas.PacificGas&Electric,theelectricityutility,haslaunchedafleetofdronestocheckagingpowerlines,whichcausedanumberofrecentfires,includingtheinfernothatengulfedthetownofParadise,killing85people.Sevenplanesoperatedbythecompanyareflyingacrossthenorthernhalfofthestateeverydaytolookforpossiblefires.
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“Ithinkwecansaywithassurancethatwearesafertodaythanwewereyesterday,”saidBillJohnson,thechiefexecutiveofficerofPacificGas&Electric,inaninterview.“Butthisriskexistsandcan’tbeeliminated.”
Madeworsebyclimatechange,wildfiresareaddingamountingfinancialburdeninCalifornia,astatewheretaxesarealreadyhighandhousingcostsexorbitant.
Tothenorth,OregonandWashingtonhavehadfewerwildfiressofarthissummerthanwerefeared,butfirefightersintheNorthwesthaveshiftedtheirattentiontoAlaska,wheremorethan900,000acreshaveburned.
DennisDarlingstandingatthespotwhereageneratorwillbeplacedatthesupermarketheownsinthetownofClearlake. JimWilson/TheNewYorkTimes
PacificGas&Electric,whichalreadychargesamongthehighestelectricityratesinthecountry,isrequestingthatregulatorsapproveanadditionalchargetocustomersof$2billionoverthenextthreeyearstohelppayforwildfiresafetyimprovementsandothercosts.
Thisisseparatefromthecompensationfundapprovedlastweek,whichincludesmorethan$10billionincoststobebornebycustomersintheformofalevyonelectricitybillsforthenextdecadeandahalf.
Andnoneofthiswillhelppaythetensofbillionsofdollarsinliabilitiesthecompanyhasforpastfireswhereitsequipmentwasinvolved.
Sofarthisyear,farfeweracreshaveburnedinCaliforniacomparedwiththesameperiodlastyear.Butfirefightersarestillworried.
“Allthisstuffburned,butit’sreadytoburnagain,”saidWilliamSapeta,thechiefoftheLakeCountyFireProtectionDistrict.
Onatourofvulnerableareas,wherealightbreezecarriedthesmokyodorofpreviousyears’fires,ChiefSapetapointedtotheovergrowngrasscoveringthehillsidesafterawinterofgenerousrains.
Hesaidresidentshadbecomehypervigilant,calling911whendustrisesupfromnearbyquarriesorwhentheysmellwhatturnsouttobetheirneighbors’barbecue.
“There’salotofP.T.S.D,”ChiefSapetasaid.“Peoplecallwhentheyseeanysmokewhatsoever.”
Companiesthatstudyfirerisk,likeImageCatorCoreLogic,estimatethatonein14buildingsinthestateareathighorextremeriskoffire.
“Allofthefactorsthatcontributedtopreviousfiresarestillthere,”saidTomJeffery,aspecialistwithCoreLogic.“There’snoreasontothinkthatwecan’treplicateor—Ihatetosaythis—wecouldpotentiallyexceedwhatwesawinthepastfires.”
DavidMcGiffert,aresidentofTopangaCanyoninLosAngeles,receivednoticefromhisinsurancecompanyseveralweeksagothathishomeowner’spolicywouldnotberenewedbecauseofwildfirerisk.
Mr.McGiffert,a77-year-oldretiree,saidhehadbeeninsuredbythecompany,Allstate,since1997andhadneverfiledaclaimrelatedtohishome,whichisnotfarfromtheareaburnedinlastyear’sdevastatingWoolseyFire.
“Idon’thaveanyideawhatwe’regoingtodo,”Mr.McGiffertsaid.“Ourhouseisourequity.It’swhatwehavetoleaveourchildren.”
Otherinsurancecompanieswantfivetimesthe$1,800ayearhecurrentlypays,Mr.McGiffertsaid.
Californiaoffersaplanoflastresort,butwithlimitedcoverage.
TheCaliforniaDepartmentofInsurancedoesnotkeepdataonthenumberofpeoplewholosetheirinsurancebecauseofwildfirerisks,butthenumberofcomplaintsitreceivedontheissuehasincreasedsteadilyoverthepasteightyears,to276lastyearfrom41in2010.
WilliamSapeta,thechiefoftheLakeCountyFireProtectionDistrict,onaclearedpropertywherehomesburnedbyawildfireoncestood. JimWilson/TheNewYorkTimes
RicardoLara,thestateinsurancecommissioner,saidcommunitiesneededtoshowinsurersthattheyareloweringtheirriskbyclearingvegetation,buildingmorefire-resilientstructures—andinsomeareas,curtailingconstruction.
“Localgovernmentsneedtorethinktheirdevelopmentinthisnewera,”hesaid.
Gov.NewsomstartedhisfirstterminJanuarywiththestateinagrowingcrisistiedtowildfires.Daysafterhetookoffice,PG&Efiledforbankruptcy,reporting$30billioninliabilities.
AspartofaplandevisedbyMr.Newsomtoguardagainstfuturewildfires,thestateDepartmentofForestryandFireProtection,knownasCalFire,forthefirsttimedesignatedareasinabout20countiesaspriorities.
ThehotzonesspanmajormetropolitanareasinCentralandSouthernCalifornialikeSanDiegoandFresnocounties,aswellasthecommunitiesofCarmelHighlandsinMontereyCountyandpartsofMendocinoandContraCostacounties.Thehopeistopreventthekindsofhugefiresthatdevastatedthestate’swinecountryin2017.
“Idon’tthinkanybodyimaginedthatfirescouldgetthatlargeandthatdestructive,”saidPedroPizarro,presidentofEdisonInternational,theparentcompanyofSouthernCaliforniaEdison,themajorutilityintheLosAngelesarea.
Edisonhastargetedlocationsthatthecompanypredictswillbeinneedofprotectioninthenextseveralmonths.TheyincludetheShaverLakeareainFresnoCounty,wheretheBigCreekhydroelectricplantsits.Sofar,Edisonhascarriedoutcontrolledburnstopreventthespreadofanyfiresthatmightstartintheregion.
Someworriedresidentsaretakingtheirownsteps,buyinggeneratorsandbatteriessotheycandisconnectfromthegrid.TheCaliforniaSolarandStorageAssociationsaysithasseenaspikeininterestinhomebatterysystems.
AfirefighterbattledahotspotcausedbytheWoolseyFireinMalibu,Calif.,inNovember.MikeNelson/EPA,viaShutterstock
“Thosepeoplewhodohavesolararenowcomingbackforbatterybackup,”saidRainierdeOcampo,vicepresidentformarketingatSolarOptimum,asolarpowerandstoragecontractor.“We’reseeingmoreandmoreofthatoverthelastthreeorfouryearsnow,becauseofthethreatofwildfires,thethreatofanearthquake.”
SusannePolossaidsheandherhusbanddecidedlastfallthattheyneededtheirownenergystoragesystem.ThePolosliveinContraCostaCounty,whichhasoneofthetwolargestareasonthegovernor’sprioritylistwithmorethan26,000acresdesignatedforwildfireprotection.
Ms.Polos,anurse,recallsthepowergoingout10timesinthepastyear.Ifsheandherfamilyneedtogetoutbecauseofafire,shesaid,shewantstobeabletokeepherNissanLeafelectriccarcharged.
“Megettingabatteryismoreaboutemergencypreparedness,”Ms.Polossaid.
PeteParkinson,aretiredcityplannerinSantaCruzandSonomacounties,saidthewildfiresofrecentyearshaveledtoabroadreassessmentofhowmuchthestatecanprotectitsresidents.
ConstructionworkersreplacingahouseinClearlakeafterawildfireburnedthroughthearea. JimWilson/TheNewYorkTimes
“I’mgoingtobe65thissummer,”Mr.Parkinsonsaid.“WhenIthinkbackwhatlifewasasayoungboyinCalifornia,youalwaysfeltlikeyouwereinthisblessedplace.Yeah,wehadearthquakesonceinawhile.Buttherewasanideathatifyoulivedinadevelopedplace,asubdivision,thatyouweresafe.Theincreasingfirehazardshasputthelietothat.”
Mr.Parkinsonpublishedanarticlelastyearthatamountedtoameaculpaasacityplanner.“Wethoughtwehadadequatelyanticipatedthehazardsandhadplannedaccordingly,”hewrote.“Wewerewrong.”
Whereissafe?BonnieRamseyhadaranchhouseoutsideClearlakesurroundedbymeadow,withmatureoaktreesspacedfarapart.Herhouseandmanyofherneighbors’homesburnedin2016.Butseveralhundredyardsaway,aroadthicklyshroudedinvegetationwasuntouched.
Ms.Ramseyhasrebuilt,butshestillsometimeswakesupandfeelsasthoughsheisinastranger’shome.Shereachesintoherkitchendrawerforapotatopeeler,butrealizessheisthinkingofheroldkitchen.Theonlyitemsthatsurvivedthefirewereaporcelaincookiejarandcandleholders.
“Idon’tthinkit’ssomethingthatwe’llevergetover,”shesaid.
ThomasFullerreportedfromClearlake,Calif.,andIvanPennfromLosAngeles.LaurenHeplercontributedreportingfromSan
Francisco,andPeterEavisfromNewYork.
AversionofthisarticleappearsinprintonJuly21,2019,SectionA,Page1oftheNewYorkeditionwiththeheadline:NoFiresYet,ButCaliforniaIsPayingNow
READ182COMMENTS
https://www.hoodrivernews.com/news/pacific-power-announces-plans-to-shut-off-power-during-extreme/article_ecb14ad0-943a-11e9-a78f-3b8479b66233.html
FEATURED
Pacific Power announces plans to shut off power during extremefire hazard weatherEmily Fitzgerald Jun 22, 2019
With another dry fire season just on the horizon, Pacific Power has announced a new safetymeasure that is worrying local government and emergency services: Proactively shutting off powerduring extreme-risk weather conditions.
In its Wildfire Mitigation Plan for the 2019 fire season, Pacific Power details a number of additionalsafety measures it will make to reduce wildfire risks, including enhancing vegetation inspectionsand clearance around power lines, increasing facility inspections, investing in improved and morefire-resistant equipment, installing local weather stations, training field crews in wildfire suppressionand launching a wildfire education and outreach campaign.
The measure that is worrying local officials is called a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) — anevent where Pacific Power would proactively shut off the power when low precipitation and highwinds converge during red-flag fire risk days. Emergency services would be given 72-48 hours’notice before the power goes out; customers would be informed 24 hours in advance and alertedagain two hours and one hour before the outage.
“This measure would only be taken as a last resort to help ensure customer and community safety,”said Pacific Power in an official media release.
Pacific Power will launch a public wildfire education and outreach campaign on June 24 to sharewildfire safety and prevention tips, and to give customers information on the PSPS policy.
While Pacific Power representatives are working with and receiving input from local emergencyservice agencies, Hood River County Emergency Management Coordinator Barb Ayers isconcerned.
“This issue came up fast in late May and could have high impact on our community,” she said.“There has not been nearly enough time to address power outage impacts to our economy,businesses, vulnerable populations, core agencies and infrastructure.”
In an email to Pacific Power’s regional business manager, Lori Wyman, dated June 5, Ayers said,“We have red flag days and high winds all summer long in the Gorge. With your proposed plan, yourteam could shut many communities out of power, potentially much of this summer. There is no wayour community will be ready, even with two to seven days’ notice. We have very little backup power,countywide.”
Despite asking Pacific Power to delay enacting the measure until next fire season in order to givethe community more time to prepare, Ayers said that she believes Pacific Power plans to moveforward with the Public Safety Power Shutoffs this fire season, as early as July 1.
“It is too close to fire season now, to respond so quickly to such a significant change, with our smallcounty staffs,” the email continues. “We want to partner, we want to help — but this proposalcreates more problems than it solves.”
When asked by a reporter if the measure would be implemented this fire season, Hanson said, “Ifcertain conditions are met, we are prepared to initiate a Public Safety Power Shutoff … (but) thereare a lot of variables that go into that decision and it is not something we take lightly.”
“We understand that communication and coordination is vital in areas that are at a higher risk ofcatastrophic, fast-spreading wildfires where a Public Safety Power Shutoff may be used as a lastresort for public safety,” said Drew Hanson, senior communications representative for PacificPower’s parent company, PacifiCorp, in a written statement.
“While we expect a Public Safety Power Shutoff to only be used on rare occasion, we are doingeverything we can to work and coordinate with local emergency services agencies, the OregonDepartment of Forestry, and community leaders.”
The PSPS policy was first created and adopted by the California Public Utilities Commission after anumber of wildfires in California were linked to downed power lines, and residents of Paradise,Calif., recently won a lawsuit against Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) for negligence following thedevastating Butte County Camp Fire in 2018.
But Pacific Power’s new policies aren’t in direct response to lawsuits against PG&E, reported OPBin a June 13 article. “Some of the tragedies we’ve experienced, like the loss of the city of Paradiseand other fires we’ve seen down in California, demonstrate that we need to take active measures toprotect communities and Oregonians who could be in harm’s way,” said Scott Bolton, the seniorvice president of external affairs and customer solutions at Pacific Power, to OPB.
Since the announcement of its new safety measures in May, Pacific Power has held two workingsessions with Hood River officials and emergency services — and Hanson said that more are tocome — but Ayers still has concerns.
“We need more transparency with written plans, so we can better gauge how often (and) how highimpact this could be. We are giving Pacific Power feedback, but have no control, only input,” shesaid.
Said County Commissioner Les Perkins, “This is the frustrating aspect of how our power marketworks in Oregon. We give a monopoly to an investor-owned company and have no say in how ourlocal grid is operated or maintained. Local government has no oversight and no ability tointervene.”
Utilitycompanyturnedo�powerforsomeCaliforniacommunitiesathighriskoffire
Updated6:17AMET,SunJune9,2019ByJayCroft,CNN
(CNN)—SomeCaliforniacommunitieswentwithoutpowerthisweekendasPG&Etookprecautionsinareasathighfirerisk.
Theshuto�startedSaturdaymorning,PG&Esaid,andsomerestorationbeganthatafternoon.
Initially,theoutagewasanticipatedtoa�ectabout1,600customersinNapa,SolanoandYolocounties,theutilitycompanysaid.
ButSaturdaynight,PG&Eannouncedthatitwouldproactivelyshutpowero�toButteandYubacounties.Approximately16,000customershavebeena�ected.
TheCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommissionlastweekgaveutilitiesnewrulesaboutintentionallycuttingpowertopreventwildfires.Thatfollowedthestate'sdeadliestandmostdestructivewildfire,theCampFire.
"Thesafetyofourcustomersandthecommunitiesweserveisourmostimportantresponsibility.Weknowhowmuchour
Utilitycompany'sroleinwildfiresunderscrutiny04:40
RelatedArticle:PG&Eelectricallinescauses2018CampFire,Californiaprobe
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customersrelyonelectricservice,andourdecisiontonighttoturno�poweristoprotectourcommunitiesexperiencingextremefiredanger,"saidMichaelLewis,PG&E'sseniorvice
presidentofelectricoperations.
"Peakfirerisk"intheSierrafoothillsbeganaround9p.m.SaturdayandlaststhroughnoonSunday,PG&Esaid.
Theutilitymayalsoshuto�powertoNevada,ElDoradoandPlacercounties,itsaid.
CustomerscanconsultPG&E'sinteractiveservicemapforupdates.
Nearly5millionpeopleareunderredflagwarningsthroughSundayafternoonacrosstheSacramentoValley,CNNmeteorologistHaleyBrinksaid.
Lowhumidityandstrongwinds,withgustsasstrongas50mph,makeforacriticalfirethreat,shesaid.
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AsHeatwaveBlanketsNation,UtilityDisconnectPoliciesCanKillJOSEPHDANIEL,SENIORENERGYANALYST|JULY22,2019,6:00AMEDT
Astemperaturesincrease,sodoesourrelianceonthingslikeairconditioning.That
increasedelectricloadcanstressthegrid,butitcanalsostressourpocketbooks
withtheincreaseduseofA/Ctranslatingintoincreasedelectricbills.
Sadly,anincreasingnumberofpeopleintheUnitedStatesstruggletopaytheir
electricbills.Whentemperaturesgethighenough,notbeingabletopayyour
electricbillturnsouttobeamatteroflifeordeath.
Adeadlydecision:
Inalmosteverystate,thereissomesortofprotectionforconsumersunabletopay
theirbillsthatpreventelectricutilitiesfromdisconnectingcustomersfromthegrid.
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[BLOG]UNIONOFCONCERNEDSCIENTISTS
Themostcommonreasonforprotectionisforthosewithmedicalconditionsorin
caseofillness.
Nearlyeverystate(saveFloridaandHawaii)haveconsumerprotectionswhenit
comestohealthandmedicalreasons.
Stateswithprotectionsagainstutilitydisconnectforhealthormedical
reasons(inblue).
Theonlytwostatesthatdon’thaveprotectionsfromutilitydisconnections:FloridaandHawaii.Source:Unionof
ConcernedScientistsanalysisofHealthandHumanServicesdata.
Now,thatisn’ttosaythatthoselawsandprotectionsareperfect.Insomestates,the
protectionisonlyintheformofadelayinshutoff,insomestatesthecustomermust
haveaspecialdoctor’snoteonfilewiththeutility.
Oftentimes,disconnectswilloccurandtheburdenofprooffallsonthecustomer
withamedicalconditiontogetelectricityreconnected.Ifyourelyonanelectronic
medicaldevice,suchasarespirator,youmaynothavetime.
Whenelectricitygetsshutoff,peoplecandie.
Thatwasthecaselastyear,afterAPS,thelargestmonopolyutilityinArizona,
jackedupthebillsofitsresidentialcustomers.
StephaniePullman,a72-year-oldwomaninSunCityWest,was$51shortonher
electricbillsoAPSshutoffherpower.Amonthlater,temperaturesinArizona
reached107°F,andStephaniediedfromaheatstroke.Shewasn’ttheonlyone,two
otherAPScustomersdiedafterAPSshutofftheirpower,APSsettledbothlawsuits.
ItalsohappenedinNewJersey,whenLindaDanielsdiedofcongestiveheartfailure
lastsummer.Linda’sdeathspurredthestatetopass“Linda’sLaw”whichaimsto
preventsuchtragediesfromhappeningagain.
Healthvsheat.
Whileagreatnumberofstateshaveshutoffprotectionsforthosewithhealth
problems,aspeoplefaceproblemsassociatedwithheat,thesameprotections
simplydon’tapply.Only9stateshavetemperature-basedshutoffrestrictionsfor
extremeheat(manymorestateshavetemperature-baseddisconnectsfor
temperaturesbelowfreezing).Youcanfindasummaryofallstate’sutilityshutoff
anddisconnectpolicieshere.
Stateswithutilitydisconnectprotectionsbasedontemperaturebasedlimits.
Onlyninestateshavetemperaturebasedshutoffrestrictionswhenextremeheathits.Source:UCSanalysisofHealthand
HumanServicesdata.
Anothersixstates—Arizona,Minnesota,Mississippi,RhodeIsland,Texas,and
Wisconsin—haverestrictionsfordisconnectsduring“extremeheat,”butleavethe
thresholdfuzzy(forexample,whenaheatemergencyisdeclared).
Evenifanofficialheatemergencyisnotdeclared,temperaturesmaybehotenough
tobeunsafeforheat-vulnerablepopulationsliketheelderly,pregnantwomen,the
veryyoung,andthosewithpre-existingmedicalconditions.
InArizona,thethresholdisnotonlyill-defined,butthedecisionisleftuptoutility
commissioner’sjudgmentonwhatconstitutesextremeheat.
Utilitycommissionersgenerallyactaseconomicregulators,notpublichealth
regulators.Mostarenotinformedorequippedtomakedecisionsaboutthemedical
andhealthissuesrelatedtoextremeheat.
Inlightofrevelationsofadramaticincreaseinheat-relateddeathsandshutoffs—
andsadlyafterthetragicstoryofStephaniehasmadethenews—thecommission
hastakenactionandhaltedfutureshutoffs.
InJune,afterconsiderablelocalpressure,theutilitycommissioninArizonadecided
toexerciseitsjurisdictionalauthoritytoendutilityshutoffsandsuspendedall
shutoffsuntilOctober15th.
However,themoratoriumexcludesthoseelectricprovidersthataren’tregulatedby
thecommission.ThisiswhyadvocatesinArizonasayitshouldn’tbeuptothe
commission’sdiscretion.AdvocateslikeStaceyChampionsaythestatelawshould
havemandatoryprotections.
Whenitcomestoutilitydisconnects,weneedscience-basedpolicies.
Thescienceisclear,thehotteroursummersget,themorethepublicwillneed
protections.
Above95 Fsweatingstopsactingasaneffectivewayofcoolingthehumanbody.
Atheatindexabove100 F,children,theelderly,andpregnantwomenareatriskof
heat-relatedillness.
Somestateshavespecialprotectionsforthosegroups,butmanydon’t.Andnoneof
themshouldneedadoctor’snotetoprovethattheywouldsufferiftheyweretolose
theirabilitytorunanA/Corfans.
At105 F,anyonecanbeatriskofheat-relatedillnessorevendeathasaresult
ofprolongedexposure.
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Astemperaturesincrease,sodotheriskstoourhealth.Source:KillerHeatintheUnitedStates(UCS).
Astheeffectsofglobalwarmingintensify,citiesacrosstheUSwillexperience
weatherthatisliterallyoffthe(heatindex)charts,whichrepresentsanextreme
dangerforallhumans.Tolearnmoreaboutthis,UCShasdevelopedthishandy
onlinewidgetandinteractivemap.
Asclimatechangeworsens,summerswillbegettinglongerandhotter.Citiesand
statesthatmaynothavehadaneedforshutoffprotectionsduetoheatmayneed
theminthefuture.
Thenumberofexcessiveheatdaysisavoidableifweactonclimatechange,butwe
mustalsoimplementpoliciestoprotecthumanhealth,humanlives.Hopefully,we
won’tneedtobeoverlyreliantonsuchsafeguards,butbettertohavethembecause
thealternativewillbedeadlyforsome.
Science-basedpoliciestodaywillpreventdeathstomorrow
ArecentreportbyUCSdetailsthejusthowdeadlyincreasingextremeheatwill
become.CitieslikeChicago,Boston,NewYork,Minneapolis,andKansasCityareall
expectedtoseemultipledayswheretheheatindexwillbeoffthecharts.Manyof
thosecitieshaveneverseentheheatindexgooffthecharts.
Florida–whichhasnoprotectionsforelectriccustomers–isgoingtobeoneof
thehardest-hitstates.
Meanwhile,whilemoststateshaveprotectionsforhealthemergencies,theydon’t
havetemperature-basedprotections.Butwhenthetemperatureisatorabove105 F,
itisahealthemergencyforeveryone.
Policiesshouldbeinplacetoensurethattheyhaveuninterruptedpower,especially
toprotectlow-incomehouseholdsthatmaystruggletopaybills.
Stateutilityregulatorsandlegislatorsshouldrequireutilitiestoprovide
uninterruptedpowerserviceforresidents—especiallyelderlyadults,pregnant
women,sickpeople,andpeoplewithdisabilities—duringperiodsofextremeheat.
Disconnectpoliciescurrentlyvarybystate;somestatesdonothaveprotectionsin
placeforperiodsofextremeheat.Thispatchworkofprotectionsneedstobe
replacedwithstandardsbasedonthescienceandresearchofpublichealth
professionals.
Policymakersshouldputintoplacesafeguardstoprotecthumanhealthincaseof
heatemergencies,andutilitydisconnectionbannedduringthosetimesforany
reason,includingnon-paymentofbills.Science-basedtemperaturethresholds
shouldbesettoeliminateanyambiguityoruncertaintytotheprocess.
Ifyou’reinthepathoftheheatwavethisweek,makesuretopayattentiontoalerts
fromlocalauthoritiesandtakeprotectiveactionstosafeguardyourhealthandthe
healthandwell-beingofyourfriendsandneighbors.Herearesomeresourcesthat
canhelp.
Postedin:Energy,GlobalWarmingTags:Affordability,electricity,extremeheat,
heatwaves,KillerHeat,KillerHeatReport,utilities
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