The California Public Utilities Commission is moving forward with a plan to implement frequent safety evaluations for the state’s major utility companies as part of a broader effort to prevent wildfires and gas leaks.
Every four years, an independent evaluator will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the safety culture and practices used at PG&E, which will also be mandated to provide annual self-evaluations to monitor improvement.
Safety culture refers to the set of collective values, principles and practices that an organization shares with respect to risk and safety, said CPUC commissioner Darcie Houck.
PG&E is the largest electrical and gas utility service for Northern and Central California. Other major utility companies that serve the southern end of the state, including San Diego Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison Company, and Southern California Gas Company, will also be subject to the same requirements.
The utility companies will be evaluated for demonstrating a commitment to safety in their decisions, identifying and promptly addressing potential safety risks, and fostering an environment where safety concerns can be raised without fear of retaliation.
A decade of disasters
The decision to implement robust and frequent safety culture assessments arose following multiple catastrophic events caused by faulty utility infrastructure that occurred throughout the state in the last decade.
In 2010, a defective pipe installed by PG&E exploded in San Bruno and caused a fire, killing eight. PG&E has also been blamed for starting multiple devastating wildfires since 2017 in Northern California due to aging power lines.
As a result, several legislative and commission-led efforts were enacted to enforce the requirement that utility companies meet safety regulations. In 2018, Senate Bill 901 was signed into state law that requires utility companies to develop plans to mitigate wildfire risk.
“Since the 2017 and 2018 wildfires that deeply impacted our state, California has worked extensively to reduce utility-involved wildfires and to create a framework that anticipates, as well as anyone can, the complex nature of wildfire risks and impacts,” CPUC president Alice Reynolds said during the commission’s Thursday meeting.
The law also charges the commission to hold utility companies accountable for safety prioritization via regular assessments into safety culture.
A fiery warning
The ongoing Palisades and Eaton fires ravaging through the Los Angeles area are a stark reminder of the necessary precautions that utility companies must take to reduce the risk of sparking fires. The causes of these wildfires have yet to be confirmed.
“The events unfolding in Southern California are tragic, unprecedented and life-changing for many residents in the Los Angeles area,” Reynolds said. “As we can see now, measures taken to prevent wildfires are more critical than ever.”
The implementation of safety culture evaluations is a complement to the required Wildfire Mitigation Plans, or WMPs, that major utility companies like PG&E must adhere to. The CPUC also approved the WMP for PG&E on Thursday that includes hardening infrastructure and removing hazardous vegetation around power lines.
“This decision begins an important process to develop the utilities’ safety culture,” said CPUC commissioner John Reynolds. “Wildfire and gas safety have tangibly impacted Californians’ lives and will continue to do so. Utilities safety culture benefits all Californians. There is no endpoint for safety culture, only continuous improvement.”
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