- Introduction
- Evolving wildfire/utilities issues in California.
- Basic wildfire dynamics & how they influence electrical utility operations.
- Discuss sources of ignitions from electrical utilities.
- Brainstorm Best Management Practices to reduce ignitions from electrical utilities.
- Legal and financial exposures from wildfires originating from utility systems.
- Attempt to predict how future legislation and regulation may impact your operations.
- Current Situation
- Wildfire frequency and consequences expanding
- Wildland-Urban Interface expansion & consequences
- Climate change influences
- Costs of Wildfires
- Overview of Risks & Recent Events Driving Wildfire Prevention / Protection
- PG&E and SDG&E
- CPUC Actions
- Fire Science
- Fire triangle
- Fire behavior (fuel, weather, topography)
- Fire danger information sources
- Structural heat thresholds
- Buffers and Coatings
- Managing Heat
- Sources of Heat
- Vegetation touching lines
- Sparks from malfunctions
- Daily crew activities
- Quantifying Issue
- Incident reports
- Anecdotal
- Utilities Best Management Practices
- Design & location
- Vegetation management
- Maintenance/inspections
- Seasonal adjustment to system & crew activities
- Fire hazard mitigation near sources or heat
- Coatings, buffers, and barriers
- Emerging technology/equipment advances
- Record keeping/ analysis (looking for trends)
- Fire stational awareness
- Working with wildfire agencies and land managers (federal/tribal)
- Legal Considerations
- Current law
- Simple liability vs. negligence
- Compliance with "Best Management Practices"
- Setting realistic company standards & meeting them
- Legislative & Regulatory Initiatives
- What might be coming
- CPUC approach to Municipal utilities
- Any fresh legislative initiatives
- Wildfire Mitigation Plan Template
- Provide appropriate outline for Municipal owned electrical utility
- Wrap-up
- Where do we go from here?