GovReport

On the Future of Government

Jesus Arredondo

CAISO, CPUC, CEC Issue Preliminary Report on Blackouts

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The Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee will be holding an oversight hearing with the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), and California Energy Commission (CEC) aimed at reviewing a report on the rolling blackouts triggered in August.

The Preliminary Root Cause Analysis  121 page report issued by the three energy agencies today offered the following three key findings:

  1. The climate change-induced extreme heat storm across the western United States resulted in the demand for electricity exceeding the existing electricity resource planning targets. The existing resource planning processes are not
    designed to fully address an extreme heat storm like the one experienced in mid-August.
  2. In transitioning to a reliable, clean, and affordable resource mix, resource planning targets have not kept pace to lead to sufficient resources that can be relied upon to meet demand in the early evening hours. This makes balancing
    demand and supply more challenging. These challenges were amplified by the extreme heat storm.
  3. Some practices in the day-ahead energy market exacerbated the supply challenges under highly stressed conditions.

The hearing is scheduled for October 12, 2020, at 10 a.m. in the Assembly Chamber.   The Committee agenda can be found here: Agenda Details

As we reported following the outages of August 14 and 15, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom directed the energy agencies to look at what went wrong, including within their organizations.  In their initial joint assessment, the three entities promised a “deeper dive” full review — this report is the “deep dive.”

In addition, CAISO said they will host a stakeholder call on October 13, 2020, to discuss the report.

Govreport will provide coverage of this hearing.

CAISO Declares Flex Alert for Thursday, Oct. 1

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The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) has issued a statewide Flex Alert, a call for voluntary electricity conservation, from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday, October 1, 2020).

With high temperatures in the forecast, the power grid operator is predicting an increase in electricity demand, primarily from air conditioning use.  Reduced capacity, along with fire activity and heat, has led to a potential shortage of energy supply tomorrow evening.

Earlier this afternoon, a Grid Alert was issued for a possible electricity shortage in the day-ahead market, for one hour beginning at 6 p.m. tomorrow, and a Restricted Maintenance Operations (RMO) notice was issued for the period 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. tomorrow to power plant operators.

The Grid Alert allows operators to call up demand response supply, while the RMO allows operators to call all available generation onto the system and bring back transmission that may be offline for planned maintenance.

Consumers are urged to conserve electricity, especially during the late afternoon and early evening, when the grid is most stressed due to higher demand and solar energy production falling.

According to the CAISO, tomorrow’s peak demand is expected to be 43,401 megawatts.  Since that is not a high peak, we assume the CAISO is anticipating the impact of lack of available supply from out of State resources.

Govreport will be tracking supply and provide posts as we see anything interesting developing.

PG&E Declares PSPS Event Beginning Early Sunday Morning

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Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) announced late Saturday that they are declaring a Public Power Safety Shutt-off (PSPS) event beginning early Sunday morning and that they will last until Monday.

Delivering the news during a press briefing, the utility said they expected the PSPS to impact nearly 89,000 customers in 16 counties across Northern California.

In a statement released after the press conference, PG&E said that “The anticipated scope and timing of this event has changed from earlier announcements, based on updated weather forecasts that showed stronger wind gusts in a larger portion of PG&E’s service area.  PG&E’s in-house meteorologists, as well as its Wildfire Safety Operation Center and Emergency Operations Center, continue to monitor conditions closely and additional notifications will be made today to customers who may be impacted by this event.”

According to the press release, portions of the following counties could be impacted by the PSPS: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Kern, Lake, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Tehama and Yuba.

PG&E estimated that power will be shut off to the impacted areas starting 2 am Sunday morning and they are expecting full restoration of power by 10 pm Monday evening.  The estimated weather all-clear will be around 8 am Monday.

The statement added that “Given the expected weather conditions, PG&E began its one-day advance notifications to customers in areas where PG&E may need to proactively turn power off for safety to reduce the risk of wildfire from energized power lines.” 

PG&E’s PSPS authority was granted by the Legislature, Governor, and California pUblic Utilities Commission and intended to reduce the threat of wildfire that could be sparked by lines brought down in gusting winds.

PG&E PSPS Information Site

PG&E Says PSPS Possible for 100K this Weekend Due to Heat and Wind

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Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has warned late today that a Public Power Safety Shut-Off (PSPS) event is possible for close to 100,000 residents in Northern California this weekend as strong offshore winds are forecast to hit the region starting Sunday morning.

According to the PG&E press release, costumers in Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Kern, Lake, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Tehama, and Yuba counties could lose power over the weekend.

Following legislative and regulatory approval, California utilities were afforded the ability to enact PSPS events if high-risk weather conditions occurred.   While the utilities have been under fire for these events, the Legislature and Governor approved the use of the PSPS following the devastating 2018 fire season.

PG&E said that cutting power is necessary in high-risk weather conditions and that more than 80 damaged or hazardous power lines were discovered after the last round of shut-offs earlier this month.  In the press release, the utility said those damaged lines could have sparked a wildfire had they not been powered down.

As required by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), PG&E has made a number of changes in its power shut-off protocols this year, including providing outdoor community resources in impacted counties that will provide resources like cooling locations, restrooms, Wi-Fi, charging for technology, food, and water.

Beginning on Sunday, the PSPS if called, could extend through Monday.  A 12-hour notice will be issued by the utility if the PSPS is indeed called.

PG&E PSPS Information Site

Newsom Orders Ban on Gas-Fueled Vehicles by 2035

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Gov. Gavin Newsom has called for a ban on the sale of new gasoline-fueled vehicles beginning in 2035.  On Sept. 23, Newsom directed the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to establish regulations requiring that all new cars and passenger trucks sold in California in 2035 be zero-emission vehicles.

Gov. Newsom held a press conference in Sacramento on September 23 to announce the executive order. Image: YouTube.com

Newsom is also asking the Legislature to implement a fracking ban by 2024.  This direction comes in response to ongoing criticism from environmentalists that California isn’t doing enough to stop the use and production of fossil fuels in the State.

During his press conference, Newsom said:  “This is the most impactful step our state can take to fight climate change.”

Update at 120pm

From Governor Newsom’s Press Release:

“Following the order, CARB will develop regulations to mandate that 100 percent of in-state sales of new passenger cars and trucks are zero-emission by 2035 – a target which would achieve more than a 35 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and an 80 percent improvement in oxides of nitrogen emissions from cars statewide.  In addition, CARB will develop regulations to mandate that all operations of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles shall be 100 percent zero emission by 2045 where feasible, with the mandate going into effect by 2035 for drayage trucks.  To ensure needed infrastructure to support zero-emission vehicles, the order requires state agencies, in partnership with the private sector, to accelerate deployment of affordable fueling and charging options. It also requires support of new and used zero-emission vehicle markets to provide broad accessibility to zero-emission vehicles for all Californians.  The executive order will not prevent Californians from owning gasoline-powered cars or selling them on the used car market.

By the time the new rule goes into effect, zero-emission vehicles will almost certainly be cheaper and better than the traditional fossil fuel powered cars. The upfront cost of electric vehicles are projected to reach parity with conventional vehicles in just a matter of years, and the cost of owning the car – both in maintenance and how much it costs to power the car mile for mile – is far less than a fossil fuel burning vehicle.

The executive order sets clear deliverables for new health and safety regulations that protect workers and communities from the impacts of oil extraction. It supports companies who transition their upstream and downstream oil production operations to cleaner alternatives. It also directs the state to make sure taxpayers are not stuck with the bill to safely close and remediate former oil fields. To protect the health and safety of our communities and workers, the Governor is also asking the Legislature to end the issuance of new hydraulic fracturing permits by 2024.

The executive order directs state agencies to develop strategies for an integrated, statewide rail and transit network, and incorporate safe and accessible infrastructure into projects to support bicycle and pedestrian options, particularly in low-income and disadvantaged communities.”

Note:  The text of today’s executive order can be found here and a copy can be found here.

As California’s Fires Burn, Governor Newsom and President Trump Make Nice

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The largest wildfire in California history is currently burning in Northern California.  A series of lightning strikes ignited 37 fires that merged together.  The August Complex Fire exploded in size earlier this week after winds blew flames beyond previously-established control lines, according to the U.S. Forest Service.  

The August Complex Fire has consumed more than 877,000 acres (presently nearly twice the size of the second largest fire in State history); 16,500 firefighters are working to suppress these fires; sadly, 20 lives lost to date and 4,716 structures damaged or destroyed. 

On Monday, President Donald Trump was in Sacramento for a few hours to get a briefing on the California fires.  While he was here, there was a clear distinction of views on what might be done to make things better in the future — but it seems that Governor Newsom and President Trump might agree that better forest management is paramount.  Much work lies ahead for making this a reality, however.

In the meantime, the National Weather Service has advised that a very dangerous weather system is approaching Washington, Oregon, and California through Monday evening through Tuesday.  While wind will move smoke away for some time, the gusting winds will create warmer temperatures, lower humidity and will actually lead to oxygenating the current fires.  The Southwest wind has prompted a “Red Flag” fire warning through Tuesday (9/15). 

The largest fires currently burning according to CalFire data: 

  • August Complex Fire, over 877,000 acres burned, 28% contained as of 9/13 (Counties Impacted: Mendocino & Humbolt) – this is the largest Fire in California History – nearly 2 times the size of the 2nd largest fire in State history
  • SCU Lightning Complex Fire, over 396,000 acres burned, 98% contained as of 9/13 (Counties Impacted: Stanislaus, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin) Presently the 3rd largest fire in state history
  • LNU Lightning Complex Fire, over 363,000 acres burned, 96% contained as of 9/13 (Counties Impacted: Sonoma, Lake, Napa, Yolo & Solano) Presently the 4th largest fire in State history
  • North Complex Fire, 258,802 acres burned, and 26% contained as of 9/13 (Counties Impacted: Plumas & Butte)
  • Creek Fire, 201,908 acres burned, 8% contained as of 9/13 (Counties Impacted: Freson & Madera)

Since January 1, 2020, the following are the YTD totals on California fires:  7,718 fires have consumed more than 3.3 million acres (5,156.25 mi²).  As of today’s date, there are 32 major fires burning in California (27 in Northern California [North of Bakersfield] and 5 in Southern California).  

At Monday’s briefing that was streamed live, a conversation between the governor and president included this exchange:

Governor Newsom:  “We are experiencing an unprecedented confluence of issues. … When you add to the lightning strikes, the fact you have 150-plus million dead trees related to a five-plus year historic drought in the state of California — yes, I conclude climate change profoundly has impacted the reality that we’re currently experiencing.”

President Trump:  “We’ve been working very well with Gavin.  We’re obviously from different sides of the spectrum, but we have a very good relationship.”

Newsom has repeatedly praised Trump’s disaster aid for California, saying he wants to put political differences aside when problems need to be solved.  While he recently called their relationship effective in responding to emergencies — he has equally been critical of Trump for saying California wildfires were due to insufficient forest raking.

Saturday Mid-Day Update: Historic Fires Cover the West

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UPDATE9/12/2020 — 12noon

Wildfires are burning across the West, but cooler weather may be offering some hope in the coming days.  Also, just announced, President Trump will visit Sacramento on Monday (9/14) for a briefing on the California wildfires.

According the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), the combined firefighting force across the West is more than 29,000 currently on the front lines of these fires.  Across the West, thousands of homes and other structures have been lost and regrettably, 26 lives so far.  NIFC also reported that evacuations are active in 6 States across the West due to the massive fires.

In California, these are our current numbers as of 12 noon 9/12:

30 Major Active Fires (26 in Northern California and 4 in Southern California)

The August Complex Fire is now the Largest Fire in State History at nearly 847,000 Acres and only 25% Contained (by comparison, the second largest in state history, the Mendocino Complex Fire of 2018, was 460,000 Acres)

More than 3.3 Million Acres Burned (more than 5,150 square miles — )

7,718 Fires Year to Date

20 Fatalities Confirmed Fatalities

6,334 Structures Structures Damaged or Destroyed

Healthy Air Indexes across the West have recorded record breaking hazardous conditions in many cities across California, Oregon and Washington State.

UPDATE 9/10/2020 — 6 p.m.

California is not the only State in the West dealing with power outages and fires.  The National Guard and the US Department of Forestry are assisting California and 9 other States with similar problems.  Healthy air indexes are at historic highs in many of the West’s cities — large and small — because there is that much ash floating around.

These are the latest statistics from CalFire as of 6pm (9/10):

3,102,184 Acres Burned (4,847.1625 square miles)

7,694 Fires Year to Date

12 Fatalities Confirmed Fatalities

5,875 Structures Structures Damaged or Destroyed

Are there any good news to report?  PG&E said earlier today that they had restored 97% of the PSPS outages — roughly 4,500 customers remained without power as of 5pm — but PG&E is hoping to restore service to those customers sometime tonight.

On the fire lines, nearly 14,000 brave firefighters are hard at work.  The entire West is cheering for them and praying for their safety.

UPDATE 9/9/2020 — 730 p.m.

More bad news this afternoon as California’s record-setting fire season has gotten worse.  According to CalFire, more than two dozen fires forced thousands of residents from their homes as a massive new fire quickly burned more than 250,000 acres near Oroville.

All of this is occurring as PG&E was in the process of restoring power from the PSPS event that blacked out nearly 200,000 utility customers.

During his noon press conference, Governor Gavin Newsom said there were more than 14,000 firefighters are currently deployed trying to contain the wildfires in California.  Most of the State is under a red flag warning and strong winds in the  are fueling the flames.

CalFire reported that more than 2.2 million acres have now burned — that’s 3,437.5 square miles.  By comparison, that is roughly the total square miles of Delaware and Rhode Island combined.

As of this update, PG&E says they have restored power to 60,000 of the nearly 200,000 customers that were part of the PSPS event.  PG&E is hoping to restore power to the remaining customers as conditions permit.

Given the new fires, it is likely more PSPS’ will be called.

UPDATE 9/8/2020 — 6 p.m.

As we have been reporting, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) confirmed that customers in the Sierra Foothills, Northern Sierra and elevated North Bay terrain who were notified of an impending Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) are now without power.

From the PG&E Press Release:

“The PSPS event is affecting approximately 172,000 customers in 22 counties: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mariposa, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne and Yuba. The process to turn off power to these counties was completed between approximately 9 p.m. Monday evening and 6 a.m. Tuesday morning. Power will be shut off in Kern County at approximately 2 p.m. Tuesday.”

As described during their press conference, once the weather subsides and it is safe to do so, PG&E crews will begin patrolling power lines, repairing damaged equipment and restoring customers. In the area impacted by the PSPS, PG&E will need to conduct safety inspections of approximately 10,625 miles of transmission and distribution lines.

Restoration activities can only take place during daylight hours, so it’s likely that some customers may not be restored until 9:00 p.m. Wednesday evening.

From the SDG&E Press Release:

“Due to elevated fire weather conditions and forecasted Santa Ana winds, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has notified backcountry residents that it may have to turn off power to reduce wildfire risk in the coming days. Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) are approved by state regulators as an important safety tool of last resort to mitigate fire risk during dangerous weather conditions.”  

The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning from 12 p.m. today through 8 p.m. Wednesday for inland Orange County and San Diego County valleys and mountains. Moderate strength Santa Ana winds are expected to arrive today, peak Wednesday in strength, and become weak to moderate through Thursday.

Yesterday, SDG&E sent PSPS notifications to approximately 16,700 customers at risk of Public Safety Power Shutoffs via phone, text messages and email. Customers who were notified should be prepared to be without power through Thursday, depending on SDG&E’s need and ability to physically inspect equipment during daylight hours prior to re-energizing.

Southern California Edison (SCE) has not issued any statements yet, but if the Santa Ana winds kick up, it might just be a matter for time before SCE begins planning for a PSPS.

UPDATE 9/7/2020 — 645 p.m.

The heatwave and the wind events have driven PG&E to make the hard decision to declare Public Power Safety Shutoffs (PSPS).

The following is wat is public on PG&E’s site:

“We are monitoring the weather. The current forecast indicates power may be turned off for safety in the next 1-2 days. For translated support in over 200 additional languages, please contact PG&E at 1-833-208-4168.”

The de-energization will begin later this evening (Monday 9/7) and continue through out tomorrow (Tuesday 9/8).  In a press conference that was held this evening, PG&E said they are anticipating re-energizing beginning on Wednesday morning (9/10).

Lat yesterday (9/6), PG&E said they anticipated the PSPS, if called could impact the following counties:  El Dorado, Placer, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Lake, Napa, Nevada, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Yuba, Sonoma, Tehama, Tuolumne, Kern and Humboldt.

PG&E posted an interactive map that outlines who is impacted and when the outages are expected to begin.

PG&E is reacting to the National Weather Service warning that “critical fire weather conditions” will impact the PG&E service  territory through Wednesday, with winds gusting to 50 mph in the mountains and 35 mph at lower elevations.

GovReport will continue to update the situation.

UPDATE 9/7/2020 — 8 a.m.

The Golden State’s grid narrowly avoided rolling blackouts for a second time this year after consecutive days of hovering on the brink of power outages for hours.

The California Independent System Operator (CAISO), which runs the grid, said it was lifted a Stage 2 — the last step before rolling blackouts are imposed.  On Sunday (9/6), CAISO said blackouts could have hit up to 3 million households in one of the largest blackouts in California history.

Unfortunately, the crisis at this time is far from over.  The heatwave is expected to continue beyond Monday.  In addition, forecasts of gusting winds has prompted PG&E Corp. (PG&E) to warn it could shut off power in parts of its service territory Monday evening to reduce the risk of sparking a wildfire.

In addition to these problems, Governor Newsom’s Office announced that the new and fast moving Creek Fire in the San Joaquin Valley forced the closure of a 915-megawatt hydro power station.  CAISO added that other wildfires also knocked about 700 megawatts worth of solar generation, due to the smoke cover and ash.

PG&E PSPS?

According to a PG&E press release, a potential Power Safety Power Shut-off (PSPS) is possible for Monday (9/7) evening to parts of the following counties:  El Dorado, Placer, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Lake, Napa, Nevada, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Yuba, Sonoma, Tehama, Tuolumne, Kern and Humboldt.

The National Weather Service warned of “critical fire weather conditions” through Wednesday, with winds gusting to 50 mph in the mountains and 35 mph at lower elevations.

If activated, the PSPS event would be the first imposed by PG&E for wildfire safety since last October.

UPDATE 9/4/2020 — 8 a.m.

In addition to the Flex Alert issued by the California Independent System Operator, Governor Gavin Newsom has also declared a State of Emergency for this weekend, specifically identifying the expected heatwave across the state and threat of potential blackouts.

9/3/2020 — 6 p.m.

The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) has issued a statewide Flex Alert, a call for voluntary electricity conservation, beginning Saturday (9/5/2020) and extending through Monday (9/7/2020), from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

According the CAISO, Labor Day weekend temperatures are forecast 10-20 degrees above normal for California, and the power grid operator is predicting an increase in electricity demand, primarily from air conditioning use.  Overnight temperatures statewide are projected to be at least 10 degrees higher than normal, which doesn’t allow infrastructure to cool
down.

High heat is also predicted throughout the West for the weekend, which can limit the CAISO’s ability to import energy to serve demand, as the rest of the West is likely to experience the same increase in temperatures.

The anticipated events of this coming weekend are similar to what was experienced during the heat wave of August 14-18.

This next event is the second test of the grid in less than a month.  GovReport will be monitoring conditions and will update our readers as more information becomes available.

State Water Resources Control Board Unanimously Approves Extension of OTC Facilities

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Members of the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) voted unanimously extended the deadlines for once through-cooled (OTC) compliance for four natural gas power plants in an effort to maintain grid reliability in the Los Angeles area, a vote that took on extra importance after two nights of rotating blackouts last month.

After a seven-hour meeting, SWRCB postponed enforcement of an environmental rule for the Alamitos, Huntington Beach and Ormond Beach gas plants from the end of this year to the end of 2023.  A fourth plant in Redondo Beach, fully deployed during the blackouts, was granted a one-year extension to the end of 2021 despite strong objections from the City’s mayor and councilmembers over continued air pollution.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), who recommended the extensions, said it would send quarterly updates to the board on the development progress of 3,330 megawatts of clean energy slated to replace the gas plants by 2023.  But they warned that COVID-19 has slowed supply chains and construction operations, which could result in energy authorities approaching the board again for another extension while they wait for the clean capacity to come online.

The CPUC also acknowledged the concerns of environmentalists regarding plant owner payments tied to water use, saying that it would look at whether the 10-year-old mitigation fees structure should be updated.

SWRCB member, Laurel Firestone “I do think it’s important for us to have our deadlines mean something.  That’s especially true when there’s a decade of runway time to achieve them.  I think it’s really frustrating for all of us to have to extend compliance dates at a really late hour.”

Reacting to the possibility of revamping the fees, SWRCB staff cautioned that to do so would require the Board to completely re-open the OTC regulation, which could create a long delay and take months to explore.  In the end, it seems that the Board might be reluctant to do that.

Prior to the meeting, the SWRCB has made public a letter that was submitted to the record by the CAISO, CPUC and CEC: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/ocean/cwa316/docs/otc_letter.pdf

The letter expresses that while the agencies were not seeking additional extensions, given COVID-19 and other unforeseen circumstances:

“The CPUC, CEC, and CAISO staff will continue to monitor peak demand to determine if forecasts need to be adjusted. Even with the limited number of projects with risk of delay and some uncertainty about future demand, the vast majority of the new reliability resource projects ordered by the CPUC are currently meeting their milestones. However, if the CPUC’s tracking of project development starts to indicate a significant risk of delay of project online dates or other factors show that California’s electric reliability maybe at risk, the staff of the CPUC, CEC, and CAISO may return to the Water Board by early 2021 to request an additional extension of OTC permits for units that may retire at the end of 2021.”

The CPUC is next scheduled to approve purchase power agreements (PPAs) for the output of those plants under the approved extensions at an upcoming voting meeting in mid September.

More Public Power Safety Shutoffs are Coming in 2020

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As reported over the last several days on GovReport, a statewide heatwave, fires in Northern and Southern California, and high winds are forcing California’s in state utilities to declare or consider public power safety shutoffs (PSPS), an ability that was granted to the utilities via legislation that was signed by Governor Newsom and regulations that were later approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

As of Monday (9/8), Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), is currently in the midst of a PSPS event for 17 Northern California counties — an event that could impact as many as 200,000 customers.  Late this afternoon, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) warned of a possible PSPS event in the rural parts of its service territory, as a result of high winds and very dry conditions.

The events are cumbersome for the customers, as the power outages could last from a few minutes to a few days or longer.  The protocols enacted for the shutoffs are just as process driven as the re-energizing process is after the shutoffs.  The entirety of the event is part of a highly regulated process.

Notwithstanding, there are rumblings from the Capitol that the process and duration of some of these events is “unacceptable” and “too disruptive.”

The PSPS was afforded as a tool to the utilities.  The fire season is just getting going, and already has broken records in acreage burned and likely to break records on emissions created.  More PSPS events are likely to happen between today and the end of the year.  The worst fire in State history did not happen in the summer or even in September.  It happened in late October.

Last week the National Guard said that California is on track to exceed its worst fire season on record and there’s little relief in sight.  About 1,300 National Guard members from five states including California are currently assisting CalFire fight the fires, which have already consumed more than 1.6 million acres, or an area roughly the size of Delaware, according to Army General Daniel Hokanson.  By comparison, nearly 2 million acres burned in 2018, California’s deadliest fire year on record, when the Camp Fire consumed much of the city of Paradise in Butte County.

The largest fires currently burning as of this report: 

  • SCU Lightning Complex Fire, over 396,000 acres burned, 95% contained as of 9/7 (Counties Impacted: Stanislaus, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin) Presently the 2nd largest fire in state history
  • LNU Lightning Complex Fire, over 375,000 acres burned, 90% contained as of 9/7 (Counties Impacted: Sonoma, Lake, Napa, Yolo & Solano) Presently the 3rd largest fire in State history
  • Creek Fire, 143,900 acres burned, 0% contained as of 9/8 (Counties Impacted: Fresno)

Since January 1, 2020,  7,335 fires have consumed nearly 1.7 million acres (2,656.25 mi²).  As of today’s date, there are 29 major fires burning in California (21 in Northern California [North of Bakersfield] and 8 in Southern California).

The PSPS disruptions are not just annoying the Legislature and the regulators, they are hurting business, and customers.  With no power, there’s no technology — and no distance learning.

Image: https://prepareforpowerdown.com/