The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) held a workshop on March 17, 2023, to address critical issues surrounding Fast Trip outages, unplanned outages, and distribution reliability. The meeting focused on the challenges faced by local governments, particularly in Sonoma, as they respond to power outages that disrupt services and strain resources.

The workshop began with discussions on the role of local governments during outages, which often resemble emergency responses to natural disasters. Local officials highlighted that while they can mitigate the immediate impacts of outages, they lack control over the infrastructure and cannot prevent the outages from occurring. This reactive stance is compounded by the unpredictable nature of Fast Trip outages, which complicates timely responses.

A significant concern raised was the lack of effective data sharing between Investor-Owned Utilities (IOUs) and local governments. Participants noted that without access to real-time outage data, local governments struggle to respond effectively to citizen inquiries and manage resources during outages. The absence of a robust information-sharing mechanism was identified as a barrier to effective local governance during these events.

Local representatives urged the CPUC and IOUs to collaborate more closely to enhance infrastructure resilience. They emphasized the need for IOUs to identify circuit protection zones and provide detailed information on customer meters within these zones. This data would enable local governments to target infrastructure investments and mitigation measures more effectively.

The discussion also touched on the need for IOUs to adjust their Fast Trip settings based on the actual wildfire risk. Participants argued that outages triggered under low-risk conditions, such as during damp weather, do not serve a meaningful safety purpose and should be reconsidered. They called for monthly reporting from IOUs on Fast Trip outages and their impacts on communities, particularly for medically vulnerable customers who may be severely affected by power interruptions.

The workshop concluded with a call for the CPUC to establish clear expectations for utilities to reduce the frequency of Fast Trip outages. Local officials expressed concern over the doubling of outages since July 2022 and urged immediate action to prevent further disruptions. They proposed the creation of a dedicated proceeding to review the reasonableness of Fast Trip programs and to ensure transparency and accountability in utility operations.

Overall, the workshop underscored the urgent need for improved collaboration between local governments and utilities to enhance reliability and reduce the impact of power outages on communities across California.