PG&E Public Safety Shutoff Could Affect Solano County

Maggie Fusek
·7 min read

SOLANO COUNTY, CA —Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customers in parts of Solano and six other Bay Area counties were notified Monday about a potential Public Safety Power Shutoff that could begin Wednesday afternoon.

Hot and dry conditions combined with expected high wind gusts pose an increased risk for damage to the electric system that has the potential to ignite fires in areas with dry vegetation, PG&E said Monday evening.

High fire-risk conditions are expected to arrive Wednesday evening, PG&E said. High winds are currently expected to subside Thursday morning in some locations and Friday morning in other locations. PG&E says once winds die own, it will inspect the de-energized lines to ensure they were not damaged during the wind event.

"PG&E will safely restore power as quickly as possible, with the goal of restoring most customers within 12 daylight hours, based on current weather conditions," the company said in a news release.

"While there is still uncertainty regarding the strength and timing of this weather wind event, the shutoff is forecasted to affect approximately 50,000 customers in targeted portions of 21 counties, including Alameda, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Lake, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Solano, Sonoma, Tehama and Yuba," PG&E said.

The highest probability areas for this PSPS are the Northern Sierra Nevada foothills; the mid and higher elevations in the Sierra generally north of Yosemite; the North Bay mountains near Mt. St. Helena; small pockets in the East Bay near Mt. Diablo; the Oakland Hills east of Piedmont; the elevated terrain east of Milpitas around the Calaveras Reservoir; and portions of the Santa Cruz and Big Sur mountains. This is not expected to be a widespread event in the Bay Area at this time.

Potential Public Safety Power Shutoff: What People Should Know

While the potential PSPS event is still two days away, PG&E in-house meteorologists as well as staff in its Wildfire Safety Operation Center and Emergency Operation Center will continue to monitor conditions closely, and additional customer notifications will be issued as we move closer to the potential event.

Customer notifications—via text, email and automated phone call—began late Monday afternoon, approximately two days prior to the potential shutoff. Customers enrolled in the company’s Medical Baseline program who do not verify that they have received these important safety communications will be individually visited by a PG&E employee with a knock on their door when possible. A primary focus will be given to customers who rely on electricity for critical life-sustaining equipment.

List: Number Of Potentially Affected Customers By County

  • Alameda County: 4,104 customers, 160 Medical Baseline customers

  • Amador County: 57 customers, 0 Medical Baseline customers

  • Butte County: 11,364 customers, 986 Medical Baseline customers

  • Calaveras County: 262 customers, 17 Medical Baseline customers

  • Contra Costa County: 3,166 customers, 168 Medical Baseline customers

  • El Dorado County: 1,654 customers, 73 Medical Baseline customers

  • Lake County: 30 customers, 2 Medical Baseline customers

  • Monterey County: 1,084 customers, 20 Medical Baseline customers

  • Napa County: 9,230 customers, 315 Medical Baseline customers

  • Nevada County: 224 customers, 6 Medical Baseline customers

  • Placer County: 389 customers, 13 Medical Baseline customers

  • Plumas County: 350 customers, 16 Medical Baseline customers

  • San Mateo County: 1,586 customers, 51 Medical Baseline customers

  • Santa Clara County: 2,210 customers, 103 Medical Baseline customers

  • Santa Cruz County: 1,680 customers, 94 Medical Baseline customers

  • Shasta County: 4,698 customers, 396 Medical Baseline customers

  • Sierra County: 1,052 customers, 24 Medical Baseline customers

  • Solano County: 872 customers, 66 Medical Baseline customers

  • Sonoma County: 1,781 customers, 65 Medical Baseline customers

  • Tehama County: 1,230 customers, 58 Medical Baseline customers

  • Yuba County: 1,841 customers, 141 Medical Baseline customers

  • Total: 48,865 customers, 2,774 Medical Baseline customers

Why PG&E Calls a PSPS Event

Due to forecast extreme weather conditions, PG&E is considering proactively turning off power for safety. Windy conditions, like those being forecast, increase the potential for damage and hazards to PG&E’s electric infrastructure, which could cause sparks if lines are energized. These conditions also increase the potential for rapid fire spread.

State officials classify more than half of PG&E’s 70,000-square-mile service area in Northern and Central California as having a high fire threat, given dry grasses and the high volume of dead and dying trees. The state’s high-risk areas have tripled in size over the last seven years.

No single factor drives a PSPS, as each situation is unique. PG&E carefully reviews a combination of many criteria when determining if power should be turned off for safety. These factors generally include, but are not limited to:

  • Low humidity levels, generally 20 percent and below

  • Forecasted sustained winds generally above 25 mph and wind gusts in excess of approximately 45 mph, depending on location and site-specific conditions such as temperature, terrain and local climate

  • A Red Flag Warning declared by the National Weather Service

  • Condition of dry fuel on the ground and live vegetation (moisture content)

  • On-the-ground, real-time observations from PG&E’s Wildfire Safety Operations Center and observations from PG&E field crews

New for 2020: Improved Watch and Warning Notifications

In response to customer feedback requesting more timely information to prepare for and plan in advance of a potential PSPS event, PG&E said it will provide improved watch and warning notifications this year.

Whenever possible, an initial watch notification will be sent two days in advance of a potential PSPS event. One day before the potential PSPS event, an additional watch notification will go out, notifying customers of the possibility of a PSPS event in their area based on forecast conditions.

A PSPS watch will be upgraded to a warning when forecast conditions show that a safety shutoff will be needed. Whenever possible, warning notifications will be sent approximately four to 12 hours in advance of the power being shut off.

Both watch and warning notifications are directly tied to the weather forecast, which can change rapidly.

As an example of how notifications have been improved for 2020, PG&E said customers will see the date and time when power is estimated to be shut off as well as the estimated time for restoration. These notifications will be provided two days before the power goes out. Last year, the estimated time of restoration was not provided until after the power had been turned off, PG&E said.

Here’s Where To Go To Learn More

Community Resource Centers Reflect COVID-Safety Protocols

PG&E will open Community Resource Centers —CRCs— to support its customers impacted by such shutoffs.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, PG&E said all CRCs will follow important health and safety protocols including:

  • Facial coverings and maintaining a physical distance of at least six feet from those who are not part of the same household will be required at all CRCs.

  • Temperature checks will be administered before entering CRCs that are located indoors.

  • CRC staff will be trained in COVID-19 precautions and will regularly sanitize surfaces and use Plexiglass barriers at check-in.

  • All CRCs will follow county and state requirements regarding COVID-19, including limits on the number of customers permitted indoors at any time.

How Customers Can Prepare For A PSPS

As part of PSPS preparedness efforts, PG&E suggests customers:

  • Plan for medical needs like medications that require refrigeration or devices that need power.

  • Identify backup charging methods for phones and keep hard copies of emergency numbers.

  • Build or restock your emergency kit with flashlights, fresh batteries, first aid supplies and cash.

  • Keep in mind family members who are elderly, younger children and pets.

This article originally appeared on the Benicia Patch