PG&E briefs Sonoma on downtown vault failure, tree‑management practices and undergrounding discussion at CPUC

A Pacific Gas & Electric representative gave the Sonoma City Council an update on a late‑winter underground electrical switch failure near the plaza, the company’s vegetation-management program and a pending California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) proceeding on undergrounding.

PG&E local government affairs representative Jason Termino said an underground vault containing switchgear forced open during an “incredible high intensity switch failure.” Crews secured power, worked overnight and then carried out a weeklong replacement effort to restore service, Termino said. PG&E later inventoried vaults in the plaza and along Broadway, inspected about 25 switches and identified three additional switches of the same vintage that needed replacement. Two have been replaced and the final replacement was scheduled the night the presentation was made.

Termino described PG&E’s vegetation-management program as a large, multi‑pronged effort. He said the company spends about $1,800,000,000 a year on trimming and removals, and that regulatory standards require a minimum distance between conductors and tree limbs (he cited 1.5 feet as a baseline and 4 feet in high‑fire‑threat areas). He said inspections cover more than 100,000 miles of lines and that the utility uses contractors for most work while maintaining oversight staff.

On tree‑work approvals, Termino said utilities obtain encroachment permits to work in the public right‑of‑way, and that differentiating trimming from removal is often contentious. He described repeated on‑site meetings with city staff and residents to review high‑profile cases and minimize removal where feasible.

Termino also discussed safety upgrades and wildfire risk mitigation the utility is pursuing, including sectionalizing circuits, installing enhanced power‑line safety settings that shut off quickly when a fault is detected, insulating lines and replacing wood poles. He said the CPUC is considering an undergrounding proposal that, if approved, could result in roughly 600 more miles of lines going underground in Sonoma County; he encouraged the council and public to submit comments to the CPUC.

Council and public questions focused on compensation processes for damage from the vault failure, how residents receive notices and how PG&E engages homeowners in higher‑sensitivity tree cases. Termino said property owners may pursue insurance or file a claim with PG&E using the company’s online form or 800 number; he also said local PG&E staff handle on‑site engagement and that the utility has a regional team and local employees familiar with Sonoma.

Why it matters: The presentation addressed a recent equipment failure that affected downtown users, described safety efforts tied to wildfire risk reduction and flagged a CPUC proceeding whose outcome could affect local undergrounding priorities and cost allocation.

What the council did: No formal city action was taken. Mayor Patricia Farah Rivas asked PG&E to provide meeting instructions for the CPUC proceeding; PG&E offered to send directions and to have the mayor call in during the CPUC’s elected‑official time.

Public comment: Residents asked whether PG&E posts official notices when staff are in neighborhoods and raised concerns about door‑to‑door vendors and unofficial notices; Termino urged the public to verify communications using PG&E’s official 800 number.