PG&E gives update on fire season, forecast technology

Several fires are so devastating they change not only entire communities forever but the companies serving those communities Take the Tubbs Fire that savaged Sonoma County in That fire not only left permanent physical and emotional scars across countless neighborhoods it sparked lasting innovation at the Pacific Gas and Electric Co Related Articles PG E offers induction cooktop loaner initiative PG E monthly bills fall as chosen wildfire and emergency costs recede PG E s Moss Landing battery storage system will remain idle until California s last nuclear plant is poised to stave off extinction Solar panels that fit on your balcony or deck are gaining traction in the US That day that changed us forever PG E Chief Meteorologist Scott Strenfel revealed of Oct explaining that after the massive wildfire events that happened not only in the North Bay but in the Sierra we really got on this mission to install weather stations and do the Citizens Safety Power Shutoffs So far Strenfel mentioned addressing a virtual audience during a PG E broadcast Wednesday the company has installed more than weather stations that help meteorologists like him track wind temperatures and humidity across its arrangement area in California which he disclosed is square miles mostly in Northern California but also parts of Southern California So several of these stations are needed Strenfel stated because a lot of weather can happen in those square miles because of the state s varied topography which creates thousands of micro-climates that we need to be aware of and prepare for with accurate forecasts To get forecasts that are as accurate as practicable Strenfel revealed all weather stations are not only sending out information every minutes on current conditions but PG E has also created machine learning models such as the Fire Promising Index which Strenfel described as ostensibly one of our the greater part crucial models as it s predicting that if we were to have an ignition what is the probability of that ignition becoming a large catastrophic fire from any ignition source To help the model determine that probability Strenfel stated a large amount of weather records is analyzed including not only really good statistics that takes us forward five days but material that takes us back years in time hourly We also have historical fires and historical fuel moistures and so particular of the details scientists on the band were able to take those really robust historical evidence sets and compare them to the catastrophic fires in the past and run them through an algorithm to come up with this model to project what the probability is based on all those factors So we re able to see with very good detail what the liability is across our territory every single day every single hour So far this year Strenfel noted that Cal Fire has informed that there have been generally more fires compared to and compared to fire year average but that less acreage has burned According to a slide he presented between Jan and Aug there were wildland fires that burned acres while between Jan and Aug there have been wildland fires that burned acres And we re in the fire season now for sure and the only thing that gets us out of fire season is rain Strenfel commented describing PG E as very aware that things can change on a dime and a heat event combined with a wind event can cause a catastrophic fire making the weather stations and weather prediction models crucial tools in the company s efforts to reportedly keep customers safe and prevent wildfires Ultimately bringing in the best weather model information we can as well as the best minds and scientists we can is so that we can make the best decisions realizable for our customers including when and how long to do a PSPS constituents safety power shutoff reported Strenfel noting that particular of the company s models help analyze what could have happened if the power had not been shut off Once the weather calms down and the all clear is given crews start patrolling the lines with helicopters looking for damage before energizing And after each one of those patrols they document every location of damage and hazard and we re able to simulate virtually what could have happened if we didn t do the PSPS And while the models can t prove what would have happened a few of the tools and tool are definitely working disclosed Strenfel noting that he expected even more innovations to come None of this system existed before so I am very optimistic and excited about the future We have a rich foundation and we re able to innovate very rapidly as our job is to be able to provide the best forecast information so we can make the best decisions from them And while Strenfel pointed out that selected of the new tools are making us safer and our hometowns safer the weather is also changing rapidly Absolutely these tools are making a difference but conditions change is also changing the hazard too Therefore we need to be very aware and on our tournament so we are outpacing the menace of setting change that is also ramping up