On February 23rd, California Public Utilities Commission President Alice Reynolds announced that the CPUC will hold a workshop to dive deeper into customer impacts associated with Fast Trip power outages such as the frequent Enhanced Powerline Safety Setting outages impacting many counties within PG&E’s service territory. 

RCRC joined Pioneer Community Energy, Sonoma Clean Power Authority, East Bay Community Energy, and Marin Clean Energy in petitioning the CPUC to develop rules to ensure that utility fast trip outages are implemented in a manner that protects public health, safety, and welfare. 

Workshop Details 

Date: March 17, 2023 
Time: 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM 

WebEx link: https://cpuc.webex.com/cpuc/j.php?MTID=m5c57fb33abd614ea17430c1cc8addd73 
Meeting Number (Access Code): 2482 859 2623 
Password: 2023 

Call-in Number: 800-857-1917 
Call-in Passcode: 1673482# 

 

The CPUC has asked PG&E, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas an Electric to present discuss the following: 

  • An overview of the causes of power outages, including (i) outages related to PSPS, (ii) outages on circuits where fast trip settings are activated, and (iii) any other types of outages tracked by utilities;  

  • A comparison of the different backup power and customer support programs that each utility offers its customers when they experience different types of power outages, including eligibility criteria and program costs;  

  • How each utility identifies customers who may benefit from backup power or customer support based on their vulnerability to power outages;  

  • The processes each utility uses to restore service after different types of outages and the plans each utility has for improving its restoration times;  

  • The specific criteria and decision-making processes used by each utility to activate its respective fast trip settings, and how these criteria compare and contrast with the criteria used to initiate a PSPS event and/or alter protective device settings for other purposes, such as maintenance;  

  • The processes used by each utility to modify its fast trip activation criteria;  

  • How utilities make outage information (other than PSPS event information) available to Commission staff, customers, public safety partners, and other local and tribal government entities; and 

  • How utilities identify areas with reliability issues that are not caused by PSPS and what actions do the utilities take to address those issues. 

 

The CPUC has also asked RCRC and other parties to comment on: 

  • How power outages (other than those caused by PSPS events) have affected residents and businesses, including those with access and functional needs;  

  • How local public safety partners and other local and tribal government entities support their residents during power outages;  

  • Proposals of actions that electric IOUs can take to help public safety partners and other local and tribal government entities support customers before, during, and after power outages (other than those caused by PSPS events). 

 

RCRC welcomes any input on the above questions to help inform its participation in the workshop.  For more information, or to learn how to participate in the workshop, please contact John Kennedy, RCRC Policy Advocate.