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PG&E Will Bury 10,000 Miles of Power Lines So They Don't Spark Wildfires


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2021 Jul 22, 8:25am   1,745 views  17 comments

by Hircus   ➕follow (1)   💰tip   ignore  

https://www.npr.org/2021/07/21/1019058925/utility-bury-power-lines-wildfires-california

SAN RAMON, Calif. — Pacific Gas & Electric plans to bury 10,000 miles of its power lines in an effort to prevent its fraying grid from sparking wildfires when electrical equipment collides with millions of trees and other vegetation across drought-stricken California.

The daunting project announced Wednesday aims to bury about 10% of PG&E's distribution and transmission lines at a projected cost of $15 billion to as much as $30 billion, based on how much the process currently costs. The utility believes it will find ways to keep the final bill at the lower end of those estimates. Most of the costs will likely be shouldered by PG&E customers, whose electricity rates are already among the highest in the U.S.

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PG&E stepped up its safety commitment just days after informing regulators a 70-foot pine tree that toppled on one of its power lines ignited a major fire in Butte County, the same rural area about 145 miles northeast of San Francisco where another fire sparked by its equipment in 2018 killed more than 80 people and destroyed thousands of homes.

Since it started July 13 in a remote area of Butte County, the Dixie Fire has churned northeast through the Sierra Nevada. By Wednesday, the fire spanned a 133-square-mile area, forcing the Plumas County sheriff on Wednesday to order evacuations along the west shore of popular Lake Almanor.


The Saddleridge Fire in Sylmar, Calif., in 2019.
David Swanson/AP
The backlash to PG&E's potential liability for the Dixie Fire prompted the company's recently hired CEO, Patricia "Patti" Poppe, to unveil the plan for underground lines several months earlier than she said she planned.

Previous PG&E regimes have staunchly resisted plans to bury long stretches of power lines because of the massive expense involved.

But Poppe told reporters on Wednesday that she quickly realized after she joined PG&E in January that moving lines underground is the best way to protect both the utility and the 16 million people who rely on it for power.

"It's too expensive not to do it. Lives are on the line," Poppe told reporters.


SoCal Edison trucks arrive at the site of a transformer tower in Sylmar, Calif., suspected of being responsible for starting the Saddleridge Fire.
Christian Monterrosa/AP
PG&E said only that burying the lines will take several years.

However, getting the job done within the next decade will require a quantum leap. In the few areas where PG&E has already been burying power lines, it has been completing about 70 miles (123 kilometers) annually.

PG&E expects to eventually be able to bury more than 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) of power lines annually, said its chief operating officer, Adam Wright. While Wright likened the project to the Marshall Plan that helped rebuild Europe after World War II, Poppe invoked President John F. Kennedy's 1962 pledge for the U.S. to land on the moon.

PG&E's path to this point has been strewn with death and destruction.

After previous leaders allowed its equipment to fall into disrepair in a apparent attempt to boost profits and management bonuses, the utility's grid was blamed for igniting a series of devastating wildfires in 2017 and 2018 that prompted the company to file for bankruptcy in 2019.


A helicopter drops water on a fire on San Bruno Mountain near Brisbane, Calif., in 2019.
Jeff Chiu/AP
The biggest fire, in Butte County, wiped out the entire town of Paradise and resulted in PG&E pleading guilty to 84 felony counts of involuntary manslaughter last year just weeks before it emerged from one of the most complex cases in U.S. history.

As part of its bankruptcy, PG&E set up a $13.5 billion trust to pay victims of its past wildfires, but that fund is facing a roughly $2 billion shortfall because half its money is supposed to come from company stock that has been a market laggard.

Since getting out of bankruptcy, PG&E also has been rebuked by California power regulators and a federal judge overseeing its criminal probation for breaking promises to reduce the dangers posed by trees near its power lines. The utility has also been charged with another round of fire-related crimes that it denies committing.

Poppe insisted things are getting better this year under a plan that calls for PG&E to spend $1.4 billion removing more than 300,000 trees and trimming another 1.1 million. But she conceded the utility is "not making enough progress" since it's only a fraction of that 8 million trees within striking distance of its power lines.

But she also defended PG&E's handling of the tree that may have caused the Dixie Fire and its response. The tree looked healthy and was about 40 feet (12 meters) from power lines, she said, making it a low-risk danger.

When a PG&E troubleshooter was sent out to inspect a potential problem, he noticed the tree had fallen and may have started a fire in a treacherous area that he tried to put out before firefighters arrived.

"His efforts can be called nothing less than heroic," Poppe said.



Note this announcement was probably demanded by newscum. Announcing it now helps him in the recall election.
The backlash to PG&E's potential liability for the Dixie Fire prompted the company's recently hired CEO, Patricia "Patti" Poppe, to unveil the plan for underground lines several months earlier than she said she planned.

Comments 1 - 17 of 17        Search these comments

1   WookieMan   2021 Jul 22, 8:51am  

Whoever manufactures DitchWitch machines, buy stock of it if it's public. If it's not too late already. The machine buries cable under roads and other structures without tearing stuff up. This is a massive project if it happens.

DitchWitch is just a brand like Klenex. So some research is needed. I'm looking into it. 10k miles is a fuck ton. These machines will need to be bought and a lot of them. This is an industry I'm involved in to an extent via the wife. The huge question is who PG&E does the contracting through or what manufacturer they buy from if doing it themselves. I might just buy stock in everyone that makes the machine if this happens.
2   RWSGFY   2021 Jul 22, 9:13am  

They won't do shit (except raise prices to cover this endeavor).
3   RC2006   2021 Jul 22, 9:55am  

I doubt this will ever be done, at best they will bury 50 miles near cities and call it a day. They don't care about burning up rural parts of CA.
4   Dholliday126   2021 Jul 22, 10:45am  

WookieMan says
DitchWitch is just a brand like Klenex. So some research is needed. I'm looking into it. 10k miles is a fuck ton. These machines will need to be bought and a lot of them. This is an industry I'm involved in to an extent via the wife. The huge question is who PG&E does the contracting through or what manufacturer they buy from if doing it themselves. I might just buy stock in everyone that makes the machine if this happens.


The parent company is The Toro Company, ticker TTC. Good stock to own 3-5 years.
5   WookieMan   2021 Jul 22, 10:57am  

Dholliday126 says
WookieMan says
DitchWitch is just a brand like Klenex. So some research is needed. I'm looking into it. 10k miles is a fuck ton. These machines will need to be bought and a lot of them. This is an industry I'm involved in to an extent via the wife. The huge question is who PG&E does the contracting through or what manufacturer they buy from if doing it themselves. I might just buy stock in everyone that makes the machine if this happens.


The parent company is The Toro Company, ticker TTC. Good stock to own 3-5 years.

Thanks. Got busy and lazy. I'll look into it. Can't remember if it's a proprietary product. Construction is weird with bidding and equipment. PG&E would be buying tons of these machines or whoever they contract with. If it happens.
6   Ceffer   2021 Jul 22, 11:17am  

Are they burying the lines with all those pyrotechnic Mexicans who go up and down the freeways starting the fires?
7   Patrick   2021 Jul 22, 11:40am  

Dholliday126 says
TTC


https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/TTC?p=TTC&.tsrc=fin-srch

Actually looks pretty good to me. Revenue is growing, pays a dividend, and p/e is not horribly high, just a bit high.
8   Patrick   2021 Jul 22, 12:44pm  

OK, I bought some. Thanks for the tip @Dholliday and @WookieMan
9   Patrick   2021 Jul 22, 12:45pm  

I also bought some SCI, which runs funeral homes.

I think they may get much more business as long as Fauci remains out of jail.
10   rocketjoe79   2021 Jul 22, 3:46pm  

I keep telling my wife we MUST get solar because of PG&E. Rate hikes going forward will be nuts. Solar incentives are still huge.
But she doesn't want to cut down three pines in the backyard. There will still be three huge pines left. AAAUUUGGGHHHHHHHHHH.
I have very positive ROI calculations with 4-6 year payback. She is unmoved.

Suggestions? (Girdling the trees is not an accceptable suggestion.)
11   Patrick   2021 Jul 22, 6:53pm  

How much would it cost to generate electricity from natural gas for a house?

I knew a guy who had a compelling business plan showing that 7-11's and other convenience stores could save a bundle by locally generating their own electricity from gas.

But then, PG&E has the gas monopoly as well.

Maybe you could get big propane tanks set up in the back yard.
12   Hircus   2021 Jul 23, 2:32pm  

Patrick says
How much would it cost to generate electricity from natural gas for a house?


Interesting question.

I found this
https://mrelectric.com/blog/is-running-a-generator-more-expensive
https://www.generatorsource.com/Natural_Gas_Fuel_Consumption.aspx

With a bit of math, it seems they're both suggesting kinda similar consumption numbers. A small 2kw generator could run full speed at about 30 cf/hr of nat gas, and at $3.50 per 1000cf, its ~ $0.10/hr.

Dealing with spikes in demand is probably where lots of savings are possible. i.e., my house generally idles at 300watts at night, and 600 during the day, w/ occasional spikes to a few kw. Batteries could help allow a smaller economical generator to meet spikes in demand without resorting to a larger generator, or at least make it so the larger generator doesnt need to be turned on often.

Personally, for my future off grid farm, I plan to use solar + batteries (just a few, batts are $$$) to meet my baseload demand, and will have a couple dual-fuel generators for spikes and backup. Solar can be pretty economical from a lifetime generation perspective. Especially if you can avoid some or all of the installation labor, which is where they rape you.
13   rocketjoe79   2021 Jul 24, 2:59pm  

Patrick says
How much would it cost to generate electricity from natural gas for a house?

I knew a guy who had a compelling business plan showing that 7-11's and other convenience stores could save a bundle by locally generating their own electricity from gas.

But then, PG&E has the gas monopoly as well.

Maybe you could get big propane tanks set up in the back yard.


Propane goes for $1.41-$1.90 a gallon - high seasonal variation. I have a 250gal tank, lasts 2-3 months unless it's freezing or below, which might happen 10 days a year.
I could bury a larger tank, no idea how much that would cost.
14   zzyzzx   2022 Apr 12, 4:58am  

Hircus says
Dealing with spikes in demand is probably where lots of savings are possible


This! Run your at home NG generator as a peaking unit.
I used to design and build electric power plants.
15   zzyzzx   2022 Apr 12, 5:01am  

Hircus says
Especially if you can avoid some or all of the installation labor, which is where they rape you.


Buy a big enough yard to do ground based solar. Maybe put more on the roof, but I'm not so sure about that unless it faces and slopes in the appropriate direction, and is new enough, and you have easy access to it.
16   WookieMan   2022 Apr 12, 5:06am  

Hircus says
solar + batteries (just a few, batts are $$$)

Quality batteries are insane. Looking for a golf cart lithium battery replacement now as I don't want the maintenance of lead acid. Looking at $2,400-$3k for a golf cart. But I don't have to do the water shit with lead acid, makes the cart lighter, and lasts 10 years. Charging aside that's $25/mo, a fun toy and less wear and tear around town on the expensive cars.

Never have thought of powering a home on propane or nat gas on site (not from the power company). Technically many homes are through the power grid, so obviously it's possible. There's got to be some other issues with it. It can't be upfront costs as solar is pricey. I'd rather spend $200/mo on nat gas then sending it to an electric company. I've never heard or experienced a nat gas shut off either. Ever. My power goes out once a month at least. And solar doesn't work here for the expense.
17   RWSGFY   2022 May 2, 2:04pm  

WookieMan says

I've never heard or experienced a nat gas shut off either. Ever.


Texas during the winter covfefe of 20/21.

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