PG&E Installs More Than 300 Weather Stations and 130 Fire Watch Cameras So Far in 2020; More Planned Before End of Year
October 06 2020 - 2:11PM
Business Wire
Hyperlocal Wind Speed and Temperature Data Help
Meteorologists as They Forecast Potential Extreme Weather
HD Cameras Provide Eyes in the Sky
A rapidly growing network of weather stations and high
definition cameras across High-Fire Threat Districts provide
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) meteorologists and
analysts, weather-watchers and first responders with detailed,
real-time information that’s crucial during California’s wildfire
season. So far in 2020, PG&E has added 300 weather stations and
137 fire watch cameras this year as it approaches the goal of
installing 400 weather stations and 200 cameras by the end of
December. Currently, PG&E has a total of 900 weather stations
and 270 HD cameras.
PG&E has been adding to its network of weather stations and
cameras since 2018, mostly in high fire-threat areas in Northern
and Central California. The result has been increased situational
awareness of fire-danger conditions.
The stations provide temperature, wind speed and humidity data
that is monitored, tracked and evaluated by PG&E’s in-house
meteorology team in real-time. The data is also critical
information for PG&E’s analysts in the Wildfire Safety
Operations Center, the “hub” from which the company monitors
threats across its service area and coordinates with first
responders and public safety officials. The weather data is one of
the many factors used to help decide if a Public Safety Power
Shutoff (PSPS) will be necessary.
High winds can cause tree branches and other debris to contact
energized electric lines, which could damage PG&E equipment and
potentially lead to a wildfire. A PSPS is when the company may need
to turn off power during severe weather for public safety to
prevent such fires. PG&E is working to improve its PSPS Program
by making events smaller in size, shorter in length and smarter for
customers. Installing new weather stations will help analysts more
precisely forecast weather that could lead to PSPS events.
“We are taking proactive steps to keep our customers safe
before, during and after severe weather and that includes shutting
off the power to prevent a fire when the conditions are a threat to
public safety,” said Debbie Powell, Vice President of Asset, Risk
Management and the Community Wildfire Safety Program at PG&E.
“This growing network of weather stations adds important data as we
work to mitigate wildfire risk.”
The Wildfire Safety Operations Center staff also use the cameras
to monitor and respond to wildfires. PG&E allows CAL FIRE and
other fire agencies to control the cameras, as needed, and anyone
can view them.
The PG&E cameras and weather stations are part of the
company’s Community Wildfire Safety Program. The goal is to install
1,300 weather stations by the end of 2021, to create a density of
roughly one weather station for every 20 miles of electric lines in
high fire-threat areas and install nearly 600 cameras by the end of
2022. When complete, PG&E will have the ability to see more
than 90% of the high fire-risk areas it serves.
Station observations are available to state and local agencies
as well as the public, through PG&E’s website at
www.pge.com/weather and MesoWest. Anyone can view the live images
from the cameras through the Alert Wildfire Network at
www.alertwildfire.org.
Earlier this year, the California Public Utilities Commission
(CPUC) approved PG&E’s 2020 Wildfire Mitigation Plan (WMP),
which details plans and actions to make the electric system safer.
In addition to installing a series of weather stations, this work
includes installing new grid technology, a critical hardening of
the electric system and steps to reduce the impacts of PSPS.
For more information about PG&E’s wildfire mitigations and
efforts to reduce the impacts of PSPS events, please visit
pge.com/wildfiresafety.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas
and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San
Francisco, with more than 23,000 employees, the company delivers
some of the nation's cleanest energy to 16 million people in
Northern and Central California. For more information, visit
pge.com and pge.com/news.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements that are
not historical facts, including statements about the beliefs,
expectations, estimates, future plans and strategies of PG&E,
including but not limited to PG&E’s goals regarding its cameras
and weather stations. These statements are based on current
expectations and assumptions, which management believes are
reasonable, and on information currently available to management,
but are necessarily subject to various risks and uncertainties. In
addition to the risk that these assumptions prove to be inaccurate,
factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from
those contemplated by the forward-looking statements include
factors disclosed in PG&E Corporation and Pacific Gas and
Electric Company’s joint annual report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2019, their joint quarterly reports on Form 10-Q
for the quarters ended March 31, 2020 and June 30, 2020, and other
reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC),
which are available on PG&E Corporation’s website at
www.pgecorp.com and on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Additional
factors include, but are not limited to, those associated with the
Plan of Reorganization of PG&E Corporation and Pacific Gas and
Electric Company that became effective on July 1, 2020. PG&E
Corporation and Pacific Gas and Electric Company undertake no
obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking
statements, whether due to new information, future events or
otherwise, except to the extent required by law.
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