PG&E and PacifiCorp Fail to Substantially Comply with 2020 WMPs
SACRAMENTO – The Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety (Energy Safety) today issued final Annual Reports on Compliance (ARC) for Pacific Gas & Electric’s and PacifiCorp’s 2020 Wildfire Mitigation Plans (WMP). Energy Safety found that both PG&E and PacifiCorp did not substantially comply with their approved 2020 WMPs.
“We hold the electrical corporations to a high standard, and we expect them to effectively implement their previous wildfire mitigation plans that we approved and to which they’ve committed,“ said Energy Safety Director Caroline Thomas Jacobs. “Given the escalating wildfire risk, the utilities must meet both their past and present wildfire mitigation plan commitments and demonstrate that they are successfully taking actions to reduce wildfire risk.”
The 2020 WMP ARCs represent the first year the utilities were evaluated on their ability to implement their wildfire mitigation plans. Through regular and ongoing compliance activities, including directing corrective action, when necessary, Energy Safety is consistently monitoring the utilities WMP implementation. Over time, Energy Safety expects the utilities to be progressively more successful in their ability to implement the initiatives in their approved plans.
Following the release of the final ARCs, Energy Safety may recommend that the CPUC pursue an enforcement action.
PG&E
Energy Safety’s review of PG&E’s 2020 WMP found that it missed program targets and inadequately implemented its wildfire mitigation initiatives. Moreover, PG&E demonstrated an inability to track, update, verify, and report data accurately and effectively communicate its protocols, which undercut PG&E’s ability to effectively reduce catastrophic wildfire risk.
PacifiCorp
Energy Safety’s review of PacifiCorp’s 2020 WMP found that it missed program targets and inadequately implemented its initiatives which hindered its ability to reduce catastrophic wildfire risk. PacifiCorp also had persistent deficiencies in data management and ineffective planning that undermined its efforts to mitigate wildfire risk.
Energy Safety is required to conduct an annual assessment of the electrical corporations’ implementation of their approved WMPs and determine if they have substantially complied with their plans. The 2020 WMP ARCs are Energy Safety’s first annual assessments completed per the statutory framework established by AB 1054 (2019). The assessment process for 2021 WMP ARCs is under way.
On Dec. 13, Energy Safety issued final version ARCs for Southern California Edison (SCE), Horizon West Transmission (HWT), and Trans Bay Cable (TBC), and found that each had substantially complied with their approved 2020 WMPs.
On Dec. 27, Energy Safety issued final version ARCs for Bear Valley Electric Service (BVES) and Liberty Utilities (LU) and found that each had substantially complied with their approved 2020 WMPs.
On Jan. 10, Energy Safety issued a final version ARC for San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). Energy Safety found that SDG&E substantially complied with its approved 2020 WMP.
This concludes Energy Safety’s release of 2020 WMP ARCs for California’s eight electrical corporations.