2019 California power shutoffs explained

Date:October 9, 2019 – November 20, 2019[1] [2]
Location:California
Cause:Wildfire risk due to strong winds
Reported Deaths:1

The 2019 California power shutoffs, known as public safety power shutoff (PSPS) events, were massive preemptive power shutoffs that occurred in approximately 30 counties in Northern California and several areas in Southern California from October 9 to November 1, 2019, and on November 20, 2019, by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). The power shutoffs were an attempt to prevent wildfires from being started by electrical equipment during strong and dry winds. The shutoffs initially affected around 800,000 customer accounts, or about 2.5 million people,[3] [4] [5] but expanded to cause over 3 million people to lose utility-provided electrical power by late October as more utility companies from around the state also did preemptive power shutoffs.

The shutdowns have drawn widespread fierce backlash and criticism from residents as well as government officials as PG&E, SCE, SDG&E and the California Public Utilities Commission issued an apology. Many residents complained of either being misinformed or not informed when shutdowns would occur, while officials such as California governor Gavin Newsom blamed the shutdowns on PG&E's "greed and mismanagement."[6] Some people expressed their frustrations through vandalism and violence, including the egging of a PG&E office's front doors and someone shooting at a PG&E vehicle.[7]

For the state's largest utility, PG&E, to bury all of its distribution lines (relatively low voltage lines which bring power to homes, not the higher voltage transmission lines) would cost per customer.

Background

The "Public Safety Power Shutoff" (PSPS) has been standard practice in California for many years, though in the past, the preemptive shutoffs occurred predominantly in rural areas. PG&E warned the state for months of its impending action, set to commence when the combination of high autumn winds and dry conditions made the fires more likely to happen.[8] PG&E began its series of power blackouts in the San Francisco Bay Area on Wednesday, October 9, at around 12 AM PDT in order to reduce the risks of devastating wildfires caused by PG&E's power lines or equipment, like the October 2017 Northern California wildfires and the 2018 Camp Fire, responsible for a combined total of 95 deaths.[4] [9]

As California's population has continued to grow in suburban and exurban areas that were formerly wilderness, the risk and size of fires has escalated. More than a third of California's housing is now located in areas known as wildland–urban interface. When wildfires happen upon these communities, they become more dangerous and leap from structure to structure in what is called "fast-moving urban conflagrations" that firefighters find difficult to stop.[10]

Legal setting

Besides safety, one of the reasons behind PG&E's (now moving into bankruptcy) imposition of the blackouts is a legal doctrine known as inverse condemnation, which makes California utilities responsible for wildfire destruction regardless of whether the utility acted negligently or not. California's interpretation of inverse condemnation is unique. The tenet is applied in other states, usually to government entities that damage private property when engaged in a public service. California's courts have ruled the principle can be applied to utilities. So the utilities are held liable for damage, even if they comply with all of California's strict energy-related rules.[11]

This policy resulted in $30B of liability for PG&E from the 2017 & 2018 fires and drove it to bankruptcy proceedings.In July 2019, a new $21 billion wildfire trust fund was created to pay for damages from future wildfires, started with a 50-50 balance of utility and customer monies and also reduced the liability threshold for utilities to where customers must prove negligence before companies are held liable.

Critics of inverse condemnation point out that it can lead to utility bankruptcies which can threaten the integrity of the California power grid as well as hurt financing the states' efforts for renewable energy and against climate change, one of the causes of the intensified fire threat.[12]

In addition to court cases in recent years and the evolution of case law which have made new standards of legal liability, the California State legislature and the Governor also enacted new statutory laws to modify the legal regime under which electrical utilities operate in California. Over 20 new wildfire-related laws were enacted in the 2019 legislative session, several of them affecting the electrical service providing utility companies.[13]

Undergrounding

The fire risk from the electricity supply is principally from the large amount of energy carried in above-ground power lines, which under fault conditions can become a factor in the ignition of wildfires. Public utilities in the state of California have a total of of high voltage transmission lines, and of distribution lines. Distribution lines bring electricity directly to homes; two thirds of them statewide are above ground.For transmission lines, the cost of constructing these underground is approximately per milewhile for distribution lines, the construction cost of new underground lines is about per mile, compared to overhead lines at about $800,000 per mile.

The state's largest utility, PG&E, has of distribution lines, of which are overhead. The cost to convert all of PG&E's overhead distribution lines to underground lines would be approximately, or roughly per PG&E customer. (This cost estimate is only for distribution lines, not the higher voltage transmission lines.)

Timeline

Impacts

A man dependent on an oxygen supply died 12 minutes after the outage started in his area on October 11. An investigation has been initiated. His family said he could not reach his battery-powered tank in time. Large numbers of other disabled people reported issues with poor communication by PG&E of when shutoffs would occur, and with the inability to power or charge electrical devices on which their wellbeing depended during shutoffs. Affected devices included ventilators, oxygen concentrators, nebulizers, dialysis machines, refrigerators for drugs such as insulin, and electrically powered beds, hoists and wheelchairs. PG&E had a list of over 30,000 customers registered on their Medical Baseline program as being vulnerable to shutoffs, but used it only as a contact list, leaving the affected disabled customers unsupported. Dependence on the Medical Baseline list meant PG&E inevitably missing many more disabled people not registered with the program. Others who were registered reported they were not contacted. PG&E also refused to give many local counties access to the Medical Baseline list, leaving them unable to check on vulnerable residents.[23] [24]

Under backup power on October 11, 2019 [UTC], the Mission Operations Center (MOC) at the Space Sciences Laboratory at University of California, Berkeley oversaw the deployment of a satellite launched from Cape Canaveral. Paula Milano, who helps run the Laboratory, did not want to postpone the launch saying "If a scrub of the mission happens because of Berkeley, that's a huge black eye for us, and it's a huge public black eye for NASA." After notification on October 7, the lab began extensive preparation for the power outage.

By late October, water had been restricted for some in areas which rely on pump stations.[25]

Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit commuter rail services were cancelled on October 28[26] and 29[27] due to loss of power at crossings throughout the system. Partial service as far north as Downtown Santa Rosa was restored the following day.[28]

Potential fires averted

After the early October power shutoffs, the CEO of PG&E stated that they found more than 100 cases of "wind-related damage" to the 25,000 miles of power lines they had de-energized. He also stated "More than half of PG&E's 70,000-square-mile service area in Northern and Central California is considered by state officials to be at high risk of wildfire. In 2012, that designation applied to just 15% of our service area."

By the end of October, PG&E officials told a federal judge that the power shutoffs so far helped prevent up to 56 wildfires; 44 from contact with vegetation and 12 cases of wind-caused equipment damage.[29]

In March 2021, the CPUC presented the results of a risk analysis study conducted by Technosylva[30] to estimate potential fire impacts that could have occurred had electric infrastructure remained energized during the Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) events managed by SDG&E, PG&E, and SCE in October 2019.[31] The risk analysis study found the following:

Future events

On October 18, 2019, PG&E announced that shutoffs could continue for 10 years before they can start to reduce significantly, which was met with scorn by many California officials.[36] [37]

Since the 2019 shutoffs, PG&E has always been continuously trying to make improvements to its electrical utilities to minimize fire risk and reduce the number of shutoffs at the same time. However, on September 5, 2020, PG&E issued a PSPS Shutoff Watch for several regions in Northern California in anticipation of scorching temperatures and gusty winds at the end of the heat wave that could easily knock off power utilities. PG&E assured customers, though, that if shutoffs do happen, they will affect fewer customers and be shorter in duration than the 2019 shutoffs, i.e. they were aiming to restore power within 12 hours of shutting it off instead of several days.[38]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: PG&E says 'essentially all' customers restored after outages. November 1, 2019. ABC7 San Francisco.
  2. News: PG&E shutting off power to 450,000 people in Northern California. November 20, 2019. November 20, 2019. Alejandra. Reyes-Velarde. Los Angeles Times.
  3. News: Fuller . Thomas . Fearing Wildfires, PG&E Cuts Power to 500,000 in California . The New York Times . October 9, 2019 . October 11, 2019 . 1.
  4. News: Morris . J.D . Cabanatuan . Michael . PG&E: Massive power shut-off to hit 800,000 customers, could extend nearly a week . San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco Chronicle. October 9, 2019. October 11, 2019.
  5. News: Wildfires rage in California as residents scramble without power. October 10, 2019. CBS News. en. October 10, 2019.
  6. News: 'There is no recourse': Blackouts draw ire across Northern California. The Washington Post. Scott. Wilson. October 10, 2019. October 11, 2019.
  7. News: California power outage frustrations boil over as PG&E office vandalized, truck shot at on Interstate 5. FOX News. Travis. Fedschun. October 10, 2019. October 14, 2019.
  8. News: Meigs . James . California Goes Dark. Multiple factors have led to planned electricity blackouts across the Golden State. . City Journal . Manhattan Institute for Policy Research . October 11, 2019 . New York NY.
  9. News: Johnson . Julie . Cal Fire: PG&E equipment caused 12 Northern California fires during October firestorm . Santa Rosa Press Democrat . Sonoma Media Investments . June 18, 2018 . Santa Rosa CA.
  10. Web site: Martinuzzi . Sebastian . The 2010 Wildland-Urban Interface of the Conterminous United States . US Forest Service . US Department of Agriculture . Baltimore MD.
  11. Web site: Baker . David . The California Rule That Doomed PG&E: Inverse Condemnation . Bloomberg.com . Bloomberg LP . New York NY . January 15, 2019.
  12. News: Bradford . Peter . Making PG&E pay more than its fair share of fire damage could backfire on the state . Sacramento Bee . McClatchy Company . May 31, 2018 . Sacramento CA.
  13. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-02/california-power-shutoffs-new-laws-newsom California adds new rules for planned power shutoffs under laws signed by Newsom
  14. Web site: SDG&E shuts off power to some East San Diego County residents. KFMB. October 9, 2019. October 28, 2019.
  15. Web site: 'A victim of their own failure': Why PG&E's massive power shutdown in California was inevitable. news.yahoo.com.
  16. News: Map: Where Southern California Edison has cut power or is considering it . Johnson . Nikie . . October 10, 2019 . October 27, 2019 . Southern California Edison has shut off power to about 12,900 customers Thursday, Oct. 10, while an area containing almost 174,000 SCE customers is under consideration for power shutoffs as a way to prevent wildfires from starting. .
  17. Web site: Unprecedented California Blackout Ending as PG&E Restores Power. Mark. Chediak. October 10, 2019. Bloomberg. October 11, 2019.
  18. https://news.yahoo.com/california-pg-e-warns-fresh-145431402.html California: PG&E warns of fresh power shutoffs for 500,000 due to fire weather
  19. News: SDG&E Shutoffs: Nearly 19,000 Without Power In San Diego County . . October 27, 2019 . The predicted Santa Ana winds initially prompted San Diego Gas & Electric to notify roughly 24,000 customers of potential power shutoffs for safety reasons, but as of 7 a.m. Friday that number had increased to just over 47,500. .
  20. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/26/pge-will-shut-off-power-to-940000-customers-in-northern-california-to-reduce-wildfire-risk.html PG&E will cut power to 940,000 as California wildfires rage: 'Most serious weather situation in recent memory'
  21. News: PG&E outages: Historic blackout underway, 1.3 million in Bay Area without power. J. D.. Morris. San Francisco Chronicle. October 27, 2019. October 28, 2019.
  22. https://www.dailynews.com/2019/10/28/power-outage-map-where-southern-california-edison-has-cut-electricity-or-is-considering/ Power outage map: Where Southern California Edison has cut electricity or is considering it
  23. Web site: California power shutoff: how PG&E's actions hit the medically vulnerable the hardest. October 11, 2019. the Guardian.
  24. Web site: PG&E Withheld Information About Medically At-Risk Customers Ahead Of Major Power Shutoff. Scott. Rodd. www.capradio.org.
  25. News: Power shutdown: Do you have to pay PG&E, plus other questions answered. Levi. Sumagaysay. October 29, 2019. October 29, 2019. The Mercury News.
  26. Web site: Service Advisory: All Trains Canceled for Monday, October 28 . October 27, 2019 . SMART . October 30, 2019.
  27. Web site: Service Advisory: All Trains Canceled for Tuesday, October 30 . October 28, 2019 . SMART . October 30, 2019.
  28. News: Smart Train Service Running On Limited Schedule Wednesday Through Nov. 6. . October 30, 2019 . Bay City News Service . SFGate . October 29, 2019.
  29. News: PG&E Says 56 Fires Could Have Been Sparked Without Mass Shutoffs This Month . April 21, 2020 . NBC Bay Area . October 30, 2019. In an accounting to U.S. Judge William Alsup, the company said it identified 44 cases where vegetation contacted its lines and would have likely caused arcing and sparks. PG&E also identified 12 cases of wind-related equipment damage that could have caused arcing and sparks. There were 62 additional cases where PG&E identified damage that it said would not result in arcing or sparks that can trigger wildfires. The numbers are limited to the Oct, 9 shutoffs, the company said and stressed that in some cases it was not able to say whether the damage could have sparked a fire..
  30. Web site: Admin Monitor - California - California Public Utilities Commission.
  31. Web site: Technosylva 2019 PSPS Event Wildfire Risk Analysis Reports.
  32. Web site: 2019 PSPS Event –Wildfire Analysis Report. cpuc.ca.gov. 8 March 2023.
  33. Web site: 2019 PSPS Event –Wildfire Analysis Report. cpuc.ca.gov. 8 March 2023.
  34. Web site: 2019 PSPS Event –Wildfire Analysis Report. cpuc.ca.gov. 8 March 2023.
  35. Web site: 2019 PSPS Event –Wildfire Analysis Report. cpuc.ca.gov. 8 March 2023.
  36. News: White . Lisa-Pickoff . PG&E Power Safety Shutoffs Could Continue for 10 Years, Says CEO . 6 September 2020 . . 18 October 2019.
  37. News: Blume . Howard . PG&E warns of 10 years of power shut-offs. California officials don't like it . 6 September 2020 . . 19 October 2019.
  38. News: Graff . Amy . Dry, hot winds could trigger PG&E power shutoffs next week . 6 September 2020 . . 5 September 2020.

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