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Home My WebLink AboutMonthly Newsletter from CA Public Utilities Commission Menchaca, Clarissa From: California Public Utilities Commission <news@cpuc.ca.gov> Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2018 8:01 AM To: Clerk of the Board Subject: A Monthly Newsletter From the CPUC Working for California I September 2018 Edition �S��;Y ,. 4`,a� f✓ t? vf��rz,,>^:��; M1-:�a��Y�r��°<'�,��'��{t.Y'sa,ss�i?��as,`✓.,""�5 T do S, �L • tjc r ¢. i> ' � y �raA�.,U:ii �' •r.Gr.r��;��- �..:�uu;-xa'`�'�`S`�•'- sa��•'"�i,6 y Working Together on Innovative and Far- Reaching Solutions to Wildfire Prevention By Elizaveta Malashenko,CPUC Safety and Enforcement Division Director In California,we know all too well that the threat from destructive wildfires is growing.This is a call to be more proactive and creative in working to keep people and property safe as climate change .. � ; and persistent drought continue to pose enormous challenges. Last month, I had the privilege of testifying at the Capitol in Sacramento before the Wildfire Elizaveta Malashenko Preparedness and Response Legislative Conference Committee established by the Legislature to address this multi-faceted issue. Wildfire safety is a complex topic,and more than anything I tried to stress that it requires a comprehensive approach.We must constantly Safety and Enforcement Division Director Elizaveta Malashenko testifies at the Capital during recent wildfire adjust our thinking on everything from land use hearings and utility liability to vegetation management and enhanced use of technology. reducing fuels around electric facilities and As I said in my remarks,Three components are promoting compatible vegetation through policies needed for a wildfire to occur fuel, an ignition such as Right Tree Right Place,which refers to source, and weather--and we need to think about utility programs that encourage removing trees not all three to have a real impact. suited to growing near utility infrastructure and 1 replacing them with vegetation that fits with the On the fuel management side,we are primarily environment and does not pose safety risks. More talking about vegetation management.This means CPUC Tackles Utility Emergency Planning and Disaster Preparedness 11 17 �>., Whether it was a terror attack or a dress rehearsal for something more ominous has never been A SERIES ON SAFETY determined for sure, but the episode captured mimic r . California's attention. Spurred by that incident,the CPUC is now well into a multi-phase rule-making proceeding on physical security threats to electric There are many safety initiatives underway at the utility facilities and emergency planning and California Public Utilities Commission(CPUC)as it disaster preparedness for electric and water works to assure Californians'access to safe and utilities that are regulated by the CPUC. reliable utility infrastructure and services. Safety- related articles will be featured again in future14 i ti issues r� . i may. l✓j ti� .+f R (� j .U' By Commissioner Clifford Rechtschaffen • l �i In the early morning darkness of April 16,2013, i �,; ;��' c one or more snipers fired approximately 100 .; „r � Y � �' a rR d - �` rounds of high-caliber rifle ammunition at the • , •• • • Metcalf Substation south of San Jose that Pacific °`' '! Gas and Electric Company(PG&E) uses to send power to Silicon Valley.The attack knocked out 17 r, '; ' • sem efi large transformers and caused more than$15 million in damages that took almost a month to repair. Workers inspecting the damage at the scene of the 2013 Metcalf Substation incident Luckily,a blackout was averted because working power plants in the Silicon Valley were able to We will soon hold our second public workshop on generate more electricity to address the situation. the issue-it's scheduled for Friday, Sept.28,2018 But the near disaster was a frightening wake-up at the San Diego County Operations Center.As call for the electricity industry and for public safety lead Commissioner on the proceeding, I want to officials and regulators.At the time, on make sure we are working closely not just with the Wellinghoff,then Chairman of the Federal Energy utilities, but with local government officials and Regulatory Commission,called the still unsolved other key parties that may not have been fully part crime"the most significant incident of domestic of the preparedness conversation up to now but terrorism involving the grid that has ever are critical to successful emergency response occurred." efforts. More An Experiment in Red: Improving Rail Crossing Visibility 2 By Roger Clugston, Deputy Director, CPUC • i - Office of Rail Safety k Sometimes the best solution to a tough problem • IOUUrR1"11 • can also be the least expensive and most simple option on the table. Consider railroad crossings, for example. .• m The U.S. has more than 212,000 highway-rail '. grade crossings where roadways intersect train tracks. California alone has more than 10,000 and they can be a safety concern. Nationwide,from 2008 through 2017,there were 21,095 accidents, A rendition of what the railroad crossing could look like after 2008 through 2017,there were 21,095 accidents, application of the red non-slip paint resulting in more than 2,500 deaths and 9,000 injuries at these crossings. In California, 1,393 The real key to safety requires the public to pay highway-rail accidents resulted in more than 300 attention, heed the warnings,and not do anything deaths and 750 injuries during the same period. risky. But human nature being what it is,we know people don't always behave that way. I've been working around trains for more than 45 years and have a deep appreciation of the We've all seen motorists get upset at being hazards that go with them. Railroad and Rail inconvenienced by having to wait for a passing Transit at-grade crossings pose a danger to the train. In some cases, drivers will try to"beat"an public because of the simple need for motorists approaching train to avoid waiting a few minutes, and pedestrians to cross over tracks to reach a regardless of personal risk. Or,they will drive destination. Even when such crossings are around lowered warning gates in blatant contempt protected by safety warning flashers, bells, and of grade crossing safety warnings designed for warning gates,the danger is ever present. their protection. More Docket: Proceedings Filed at the CPUC in Aug. 2018 Proceeding Number•Filed Date•Filer Proceeding Number•Filed Date•Filer A1808003.30-July-2018•Service First Northern A1308007.03-Aug-2018(Reopen date)• California PacifiCorp Application of Service First Northern California for Application of PacifiCorp(U901 E), an Oregon authority to operate a scheduled and on-call Company, to Establish Forecast GHG Costs for 2014 Passenger Stage Corporation Throughout Northern and to Estimate GHG Allowance Revenues to be California; and to establish a Zone of Rate Freedom. Distributed to Eligible Customer Classes. More (HARD COPY FILING) A1308008.03-Aug-2018(Reopen date)•Liberty A1808001 •01-Aug-2018•PacifiCorp Utilities(CalPeco Electric) In the Matter of the Application of PacifiCorp(U901 E) Application of Liberty Utilities(CalPeco Electric) LLC for Approval of its 2019 Energy Cost Adjustment (U993E)Setting Forth Forecast Greenhouse Gas Clause and Greenhouse Gas-Related Forecast and Allowance Revenue, Greenhouse Gas Allowance Reconciliation of Costs and Revenue. More Costs,Customer Outreach Costs, and Program Administrative Costs for Calendar Year 2014. More R170626•01-Aug-2018•ALJIROSCOWICPUC Proposed Decision modifying the Power Indifference A1808004 06-Aug-2018•Metro Gold Line Adjustment Methodology. More Foothill Extension Construction Authority Application of the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension R0110024.03-Aug-2018(Reopen date)•CPUC Construction Authority for an order authorizing Reopen case: Order Instituting Rulemaking to construction of two light rail tracks, and alteration of Establish Policies and Cost Recovery Mechanisms two commuter rail tracks and two freight tracks,at for Generation Procurement and Renewable two highway-rail crossings at(1)at Garey Avenue, Resource Development. More and(2) Fulton Road in the Cities of Pomona and La Verne in Los Angeles County. More VIEW MORE FILINGS 3 About this Publication This monthly newsletter is to keep you informed of proposals by the CPUC's Commissioners and Administrative Law Judges,as well as utility applications,and other issues and work of note.We also include a list summarizing the filings at the CPUC in the previous month. We want to hear from you! If you have topics you'd like us to cover or if you'd like to make comment on our proceedings or work, please contact us at outreach@cpuc.ca.gov or call (855)421-0400.You can find information about events we are having at www.cpuc.ca.gov/Events. Prior editions of this newsletter are available on the CPUC's website at www.cpuc.ca.gov/newsletter. California Public Utilities Commission I www.cpuc.ca.gov I Contact us STAY CONNECTED f CD in o Having trouble viewing this email?View in browser. California Public Utilities Commission l 505 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102 Unsubscribe clerkoftheboardCa buttecounty.net Update Profile I About our service provider Sent by news©cpuc.ca.gov in collaboration with Constant Contact ,.. Try it free today 4