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PG&E tells Yuba County supervisors about EPSS, PSPS and customer support programs
Summary
A PG&E representative briefed the Yuba County Board of Supervisors on wildfire‑risk mitigation efforts including Enhanced Power Line Safety Settings (EPSS), Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS), vegetation management, undergrounding plans and customer assistance programs for low‑income and medically vulnerable residents.
Brandon Black, PG&E government‑affairs representative, briefed the Yuba County Board of Supervisors on the utility’s layered approach to wildfire risk reduction and customer support in high‑fire areas.
Black told the board that more than half of PG&E’s service territory is in higher‑risk fire zones, affecting roughly 532,000 customers across thousands of miles of infrastructure. He described investments including more than 2,000 weather stations and high‑definition cameras, enhanced inspection teams, power‑pole strengthening and undergrounding projects, and customer notification tools and a data‑sharing portal for agencies.
Black emphasized PG&E’s Enhanced Power Line Safety Settings, or EPSS, which automatically cut power “within one‑tenth of a second or faster” if a hazard impacts lines. He said roughly 1.8 million PG&E customers now benefit from EPSS‑enabled lines and that the company observed a 65% reduction in ignitions on EPSS‑enabled circuits year‑over‑year.
On Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS), Black said they remain a last‑resort tool when conditions like sustained high winds and red‑flag warnings create ignition risk. He also described outreach and post‑event reporting procedures, and listed customer programs available to low‑income and medically vulnerable residents (CARE, FAIR, LEAP), plus backup‑power and language support resources.
Board members asked about outreach and undergrounding priorities. Black said PG&E offers a data portal for agencies to view wildfire safety and undergrounding plans and invited county staff to request access. He encouraged local officials to contact the company for follow‑up materials.
Why it matters: counties in high‑risk zones coordinate with utilities to reduce wildfire ignitions and to plan for emergency communications and customer protections. PG&E’s presentation highlighted operations, investments and customer assistance programs that Yuba County officials said they want more information about to coordinate response and planning.
