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Home My WebLink About14 Wildfire Mitigation OverviewAgendaItem#14TRUCKEEDONNERPublicUtilityDistrictWORKSHOPTo:BoardofDirectorsFrom:CJBerryDate:March06,2019Subject:WildfireMitigationOverview1.WHYTHISMATTERISBEFORETHEBOARDThisinformationalitemisbeforetheBoardtodiscusscurrentStatelawandtheDistrict’spreventionstrategiesandpracticestomitigatewildfirerisk.2.HISTORYCaliforniaElectricUtilitiesarefacinganunprecedentedchallengetodeliversafeandreliableelectricalservicewhilesimultaneouslyclearingvegetationtoavoidincidentalcontactwithenergizedprimaryconductors,whichcanresultinacatastrophicwildfireevent.TheCaliforniaLegislature’sdeterminationthatextremeclimateisasubstantivethreattosafetyandpropertyandspecificallyduringperiodsofextremeweatherconditions,ledtotheapprovalofSenateBill1028(5B1028),inlegislativeyear2016.SincethepassageofSB1028,theStateexperiencedthreedevastatingwildfires(CampFire,TubbsFire&WoolseyFire,respectively)resultinginnearly500,000acresofscorchedland,inexcessof26,000structuresburnedandover100fatalities.Suchlossessumtobillionsofdollarsineconomicharmandirrecoverablecoststovictims,utilities,andlife.TheresultofthesetragiceventsledtothepassageofSenateBill901(5B901),onSeptember21,2018,whichsupersedesandexpandstherequirementsofSB1028.5B901establishedrequirementsandunfundedmandatesuponallpubliclyownedutilities(POU’s),includingtheDistrict,todeveloppoliciestoprevent,prepareforandrespondtohigh-firethreatevents.ThemandatesofSB9OYarescheduledtotakeeffectJanuary1,2020.SB9OYrequirestheDistricttodevelopaWildfireMitigationPlan(WMP)toaddresssignificantwildfirethreats.Additionally,theWMPmustundergoaDistrictBoardreviewandindependentthird-partyreviewannually.InMay,2015,theCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommission(CPUC)initiatedarule-makingprocesstodevelopastatewideFire-ThreatMap(Map).Areasareclassifiedonthemaptobewithinthehigh-firethreatdistrict(HFTD)baseduponaTire1(lowest),Tier2,orTier3(highest)designation.Thehigherthetier,thegreaterthepotentialimpacttotheDistrictregardingvegetationmanagement,typesofprotectivedevicesinuseonthesystem,inspectionofthesystem,etc.TheMapisthestate-widebasisfordefiningtierswithintheHFTD. SB901.SB9OYgoessignificantlyfurtherthanSB1028intounfundedmandatesandrequiresthefollowingelementsofaWMPtobeincompliance.A.TheDistrictshallmanageitssystemtominimizetheriskofwildfire.B.TheDistrictshall,beforeJanuary1,2020,andannuallythereafter,developaplan.C.Thewildfiremitigationplanshallconsider,atminimum,allofthefollowing:.Anaccountingoftheresponsibilitiesofpersonsresponsibleforexecutingtheplan;.Theobjectivesofthewildfiremitigationplan;.Adescriptionofpreventativestrategiestominimizewildfireriskandconsiderclimatechangeasanelementofrisk;.Adescriptionofthemetricsusedtomeasureefficacyoftheplan;.Adiscussiononhownewinformationhasbeenusedtomodifytheplan;.Protocolsfordisablingreclosersanddeenergizingportionsoftheelectricaldistributionsystem;.Planfornotifyingcustomersofpotentialdeenergizationandconsidertheneedsoffirstrespondersandcriticalinfrastructureasapriority;.Plansforvegetationmanagement;and,.Plansforinspectionselectricalinfrastructure.D.Identifyandprioritizewildfirerisks,anddriversforthoserisks,whichinclude:.Risksassociatedwiththedesign,constructionandoperationofthesystem;and,.Risksduetotopographicandclimatologicalfactorswithintheserviceterritory.E.Identifyareasinahigherwildfirethreatareathandefinedbyacommissionmap.F.Amethodologyforidentifyingandpresentingenterprise-widesafetyrisk.G.Definehowpowerwillberestoredafteranevent.H.Adescriptionoftheprocessesandproceduresforthefollowing:.Monitorandaudittheimplementationofthewildfiremitigationplan;.Identifyandcorrectdeficiencies;and,.Monitorandaudittheefficacyofinspections.I.Prepareandpresenttheplaninapublicforumataregularmeeting.J.Subjecttheplantoanindependentthirdpartysubjectmatterexpertandpresenttheexpert’sfindingsinapublicmeeting. 3.NEWINFORMATIONToaddressevolvingregulatoryrequirementswhilemaintainingthecoreprinciplesofdeliveringsaleandreliableelectricity,theDistrictcurrentlyutilizesthefollowingoperationalpractices:proactivevegetationmanagement;programmingchangestosystemreclosers;installingnon-expulsionaryfuses;constructingtorigidheavy-loadingdistrictstandards;regularpatrollingoftheelectricsystem;intrusiveinspectionsoftheelectricsystem;theuseofFR3dielectricoilintransformers,regulators,andotheroil-filledelectricalequipment;and,addressinglegacyattachmentsbyinstallingpolesandremovingtreeconnections.TocomplywithSB901,stallwillrecommendoperationalpracticestoaddressproactivede-energizationoflines;and,restrictingworkonenergizedprimaryconductors.Theaforementioneditemsidentifypracticesalreadyinplaceaswellasproposedpracticesgoingforward.Furtherdetailscanbefoundbelow.VegetationManagement.TheDistricthasdevelopedacomprehensivevegetationmanagementplan,whichisalivingdocumentsubjecttorevisionfromtime-to-timeandmeetsallregulatoryrequirementsassetforthbytheStateofCalifornia,GeneralOrder95(Rule35)andPublicResourceCode4292and4293,respectively.ThisprogramissupplementedbybestmanagementpracticesasdefinedbytheInternationalSocietyofArboriculture(ISA)toshape,pruneandclearvegetationfromandaroundpowerlines,polesandappurtenances.Stallstrivestovisuallyinspect100-percentoftheoverheaddistributionsystemannually.TheDistrictpertormsregularvegetationmanagementtopreventoutagesandfiresduetotreecontact.TreesandvegetationareclearedaroundDistrictfacilitiesonascheduledmaintenancecycleprogramwithagoalofalive-yearcycle.Toaccomplishthis,theDistricthasincreaseditsvegetationmanagementbudgetto$700,000forthecurrentcalendaryear,whichrepresentsa100-percentincreasefromthepriorcalendaryear.Reclosers.TheDistrictoperatesprotectivedevicesonitsdistributionsystemthatautomaticallymomentarilyde-energizeitsprimarylines(12.47&14.4kV)intheeventofafaultedcondition.Reclosersarethenableto“test”thelinebyre-energizingandifthefaultedconditionhasbeenremoved,thelinewillremainenergized.Thisisaparticularlycommonprotectivedevicetouseinareaswithsubstantialvegetationorenvironmentalconditions(i.e.snowunloading)thatwarranttheneedtomomentarilyde-energizepartsofthesystem.Stallwillmonitorweatherpatternsandforecaststomakeoperationaldecisionstodisengageorengagetheautomatictestfeatureofreclosers.ThedecisiontodisengagetheautomaticfunctionisinpartderivedfromRed-FlagWarnings(RFW)issuedbytheNationalWeatherService(NWS),whichisadivisionoftheNationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministration(NOAA).AnRFWtypicallylasts12-72hoursinduration.Thiswarningindicateswarmtemperatures,verylowhumidity,andstrongerwindswhichcombinetoproduceanincreasedriskoffiredanger,inturnelevatingrisktosafety,propertyandassets.Inthefuture,staffwillincorporatechangestooperationalpracticesthatcouldincludedisablingallreclosersduringRFWevents.Non-ExpulsionaryCurrentLimitingFuses.Recently,theDistricthasundertakenapilotprojecttodeployandevaluatethesuitabilityofnon-expulsionaryfuses.Typical utilityindustrypracticeistoinstallexpulsionfusesontransformersandtap-linesasameansofprotectingandisolatingpartsofthesystemthathaveexperiencedfaultconditions.Expulsionfusesutilizeasilver-linkelementthatventsgasandpotentiallymoltenmetalasameansofextinguishinganarccreatedbyafaultedcondition.Themoltenmetal,however,canbeasourceofignitionforwildfires.Conversely,non-expulsionarycurrent-limitingfusesareatypeofnon-ventingfuseencapsulatedwithinatubethatcontainsthearcandgases,thusminimizingthepotentialformoltenmetalstobeexpelled.Atypicalexampleofsuchafuseislegacy“fusepanels”thatwereroutinelyinstalledonhousespriortotheadventofmoldedcasecircuitbreakers.Staffiscurrentlyevaluatingthesuitabilityofcurrent-limitingfuseswithinthedistributionsystem.ApilotprojecthasbeenidentifiedintheTahoeDonner:AlderCreekIStockholmArea.ThisareawaschoosenprimarilyduetoitsincorporationintoaTier3HFTDdesignation.StaffwillcontinuetheevaluationwithaforthcomingproposaltotheBoardtodiscussfindingsandrecommendationsaspartoftheWMPpresentation.HeavyLoadingDistrict.BecausetheDistrictislocatedathighelevation,andissubjecttoextremecoldtemperatureswithsnowandice,ouroverheaddistributionfacilitiesmustbedesignedandconstructedtowithstandheavyloads.PursuanttoCaliforniaGeneralOrder95(Rule43.1),theDistrictbuildsalloverheadlinestoheavyloadingstandards(thehigheststandard)comparedtomostotherareasofCalifornia.SincetheDistrictconstructstomeetthegreaterloadingrequirementsoficeandwindcombined,oursystemcanhandleextremewindeventswithgreaterresiliency.Inaddition,theDistrictconstructsnewpolelinesusingcrossarmframing.Theincreasedspacingbetweenconductors(comparedtootherframingmethods)helpstoreducethepossibilityofsparksduetoconductorcontactfromwindorice/snowunloadingfromtheconductor.De-Energiziation.Underextremeeventsandincoordinationwithemergencyresponders,orduringanactivefireortheimminentapproachofafire,theDistrictmayde-energizeacircuitoraportionofacircuitonacasebycasebasis.Althoughnotcurrentlydoneinpractice,theDistrictisobligatedby5B901todevelopapublic-safety-power-shutdown(PSPS)protocol.ThistopicwillbepresentedtotheBoardforconsiderationaspartofacomprehensiveplanpresentation.SystemPatrols.AsdefinedbytheStateofCalifornia,GeneralOrder165(III,DistributionFacilities,Table1),theDistrictfallswithinaruralarea(lessthan1,000personspersquaremile)andtherefore,patrols(simplevisualinspection)ofitsentiresystemonanannualbasis.Further,theDistrictperlormsdetailedinspections(carefulexaminationofequipmentandstructures)on20-percentofitssystemannually,soastocompleteandentiredetailedinspectionofitssystemonafive-yearcycle.Last,theDistrictpertormsintrusiveinspections(theuseofdiagnostictoolssuchasdrill-testing)onitswoodpoleson10-20yearcycles. FR3.EnvirotempFR3fluidisanaturalesterderivedfromvegetableoilsthathasaflashpointinexcessoftwotimes(360degreesCelsius)thatoftraditionalmineraloilsthathavebeenusedasdielectricinsulation(coolingoil)intransformers.TheDistrictmadethistransitioncirca2008anditisnowintegratedasarequirementofthematerialspecificationsforallnewoilinsulatedequipment.TreeAttachments.Legacyserviceinstallations,primarilyinserviceareasacquiredfromPacificGas&ElectricCompany,utilizedattachmentstotreestosupportoverheadservicewires(lowvoltage)asopposedtothetraditionalpracticeofinstallingpoles.Asamatterofpractice,theDistrictdoesnotattachservicewirestotreesfornewinstallations.AspartoftheWMP,staffwillimplementaprogramtoproactivelyremoveattachmentstotreesandinstallpoles.RoutineWorkduringRedFlagWarningEvents.WhentheNWSissuesanRFW,staffwillconsiderrestrictingworkonenergizedprimarycircuits(12.47kV&14.4kV)tooperationallynecessarywork.Duringnon-RFWextremeweather(i.e.highwinds)staffwillevaluatethenecessitytoworkonenergizedprimarylines(12.47kV&14.4kV)andmaydelayworkuntiltheextremeweatherhassubsided.OnemeasureoftheDistrict’seffortsistheReliablePublicPowerProvider(RP3)designation.TheDistricthasachievedaPlatinumRP3designation(secondhighestlevel)in2018,asdeterminedbyanindependentauditcommitteecomprisedofindustryexperts.ThisawardisbestowedupontheDistrictbytheAmericanPublicPowerAssociation-whichisapeerreviewedawardforoperationalexcellence,commitmenttosafetyandreliability,amongotherperformancecriteria.TheDistricthasmadeprogressonthisdesignation,beinginitiallyratedbytheRP3reviewpanelattheGolddesignation(thirdhighestlevel)duringitsinitialapplicationin2015toitscurrentdesignationofPlatinum(secondhighest)asof2018.AsstipulatedbySB9O1,staffwillbringforwardacomprehensiveWMPthatcodifiesthecurrentoperationalpracticesaswellasnewproposedoperationalpracticesfortheBoard’sreviewandapproval.PerSB901requirements,thePlanmustbereviewedbytheBoardonanannualbasisaswellasundergoanindependentreviewbyasubjectmatterexpert.StaffanticipatespresentingtheWMPtotheBoardasaworkshopitemataMay,2019meetingandforpossibleapprovalataJune,2019meeting.4.FISCALIMPACTTheDistrict’seffortstorespondtooperationalchangesandregulatorymandateshasalreadyhadasignificantfiscalimpact.Thefullcostsof5B901,inadditiontofutureunfundedmandatesisunknown. 5.RECOMMENDATIONProvideinputanddirectiontostaff.JoeHorvathMichaelD.HolleyElectricUtilityDirectorGeneralManager