Energy Safety Issues Revision Notice for PG&E’s 2023-2025 Wildfire Mitigation Plan

SACRAMENTO – The Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety (Energy Safety) today issued a Revision Notice to Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) Company for their 2023-2025 Wildfire Mitigation Plan. The Revision Notice identified eight critical issues with PG&E’s WMP that must be satisfactorily addressed for the plan to be considered for approval. PG&E has 45 days to respond. A public comment period will follow.

The eight critical issues include:

General

  1. Many of PG&E’s three- and 10-year initiative objectives do not meet Energy Safety’s requirements outlined in the technical guidelines.
  2. PG&E does not provide sample sizes and target pass rates for certain asset and vegetation quality assurance and control programs required by the technical guidelines.
  3. PG&E has not adequately demonstrated workforce planning and resource allocation to address both EPSS risk and wildfire risk.

Grid Design, Operations, and Maintenance

  1. PG&E does not demonstrate how it will address its growing backlog of asset repairs.
  2. PG&E’s undergrounding plan may leave wildfire risk unaddressed in highest risk areas.

Vegetation Management and Inspections

  1. PG&E does not provide targets for seven of its vegetation management inspection programs.
  2. PG&E does not adequately address its risk from hazard trees.

Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS)

  1. PG&E’s PSPS decision-making process does not accurately account for EPSS enabled circuits, which could potentially lead to more PSPS events than needed.

Energy Safety’s PG&E Revision Notice spells out required remedies that the electrical corporation must satisfactorily address or risk approval of it 2023-2025 WMP. PG&E is required to submit an updated WMP within 45 days. Stakeholders will have an opportunity to submit comments within 15 calendar days of Energy Safety’s receipt of PG&E’s response.

The Revision Notice includes a timetable for the process. PG&E’s response is due by Aug. 7, public comments are due by Aug 22, reply comments are due by Sept. 1, and Energy Safety is scheduled to release a draft WMP decision by Sept. 29.