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SDG&E briefs council on PSPS protocol and limits to undergrounding
Summary
SDG&E told the council that wildland fire conditions make PSPS events possible this season, described its 7–10‑day monitoring and notification timeline, and said CPUC funding limits hinder large‑scale undergrounding despite billions spent on hardening.
SDG&E public affairs manager Eric Wigan told the council Oct. 7 that the utility is preparing for a potentially severe fall wildfire season and described its Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) process and investments.
Wigan said the company begins monitoring potential fire events 7–10 days before conditions peak, refines forecasts at 4–6 days out and notifies customers 1–2 days before any planned PSPS. "PSPS stands for public safety power shutdowns," Wigan said. "So when a fire is looming ... we will shut down the power." He urged residents to sign up for SDG&E alerts and to check the company’s app for real‑time notifications.
Wigan said the company has invested heavily in grid hardening to reduce wildfire risk and cited a company figure of about $6,000,000,000 in wildfire mitigation spending. He warned that undergrounding overhead lines is extremely expensive and constrained by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) rate‑making process. "We had asked for over 700 line miles of infrastructure to be undergrounded, and they came back and gave us 100," he said, noting the CPUC determines what may be charged to customers.
Council members asked whether covered conductors or undergrounding prevent PSPS. Wigan said covered conductors reduce risk and can speed restoration but do not eliminate the possibility of a PSPS because shutdowns can be triggered by hazards far from a given neighborhood. He also described SDG&E’s inspection procedures, drone and helicopter use after a shutdown, and assistance for customers on the medical baseline program.
Council members pressed about local undergrounding plans and the costs involved; Wigan said the company would continue to request funding from the CPUC and that public comment at the CPUC level is important to influence decisions.
The briefing was presented during Fire Prevention Week observances and followed an OCFA proclamation and local fire agency remarks earlier in the meeting.
