Pacific Gas and Electric Company

• In many cases, however, deciding to shut off power isn’t as simple is as it might sound.
• We asked Tim Lieuwen, executive director of the Strategic Energy Institute at Georgia Tech, about the risks and trade-offs utilities have to weigh in deciding how to respond during fire-risk conditions.

Why are utilities so often suspected in fires?

• If tree branches are too close to the lines, electricity can arc between the line and the tree.
• If the weather gets really hot, power lines can sag and touch dry grass or trees.
• If there’s a lot of wind, that can push a power line into tree branches or damage equipment.

Do utilities have a responsibility for fire safety?

• In general, regulated utilities have a duty to provide safe, affordable, reliable power to their customers.
• The utility can shut off power, but that means people don’t have air conditioning in what may be extreme heat.
• People with health issues – who might need oxygen, for example – might not be able to run essential medical devices.
• Utilities have to balance the risk of keeping power on with the risks created by shutting power off.

What can utilities do to manage fire risk?

• Utilities can make sure they’re careful about trimming trees, cutting grasses and removing other dry fuel that can ignite near power lines.
• There’s an effort to do that in California, but estimates show it would be prohibitively expensive to take all high-voltage lines underground.
• On hot days, being better able to manage the distribution of power flow of electricity through power lines that are overloaded and potentially overheating could also help avoid problems along power lines.

How do utilities balance the risks?

• You can shut off power during windstorms and largely eliminate the fire risk from power infrastructure.
• However, how to balance those risks and, in particular, address the issue of when a utility should shut off the power, is ultimately a societal choice.

• The PG&E Corporation Foundation (PG&E Foundation) funds the scholarships that totaled $350,000 this year, an increase of $100,000 from 2022.
• The PG&E Foundation is sponsoring 20 scholarships of $10,000, 20 scholarships of $5,000, and 20 scholarships of $2,500 each.
• The scholarships are awarded to students pursuing degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines.
• STEM education fosters ingenuity, creativity, and experimentation, leading to new ideas, innovations, and technological advancements that can have global impact.

• Energy Vault Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: NRGV) (“Energy Vault” or “the Company”), a leader in sustainable, grid-scale energy storage solutions, announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023.
• Robert Piconi, Chairman and CEO of Energy Vault, stated, “I am pleased with our continued progress this quarter with our primary focus on project execution to customer and contractual commitments on our first energy storage systems.
• The system is based on Energy Vault Solutions’ (“EVS”) proprietary system design and EVS’s Energy Management Software for optimal economic dispatching.
• Energy Vault will host a conference call today, August 8, 2023 at 8:30 AM ET to discuss the results, followed by a Q&A session.

• These energy incentive initiatives reward participants who can be flexible when they use energy and help reduce the state's emissions footprint.
• "There is also a real environmental benefit, as these programs help to shift substantial energy use to times when more clean generation is powering the state's electric grid."
• Energy incentive programs like SmartAC Smart Thermostat and Power Saver Rewards are important, because they put the power in the hands of our customers.
• Home Energy Checkup is a free service that helps customers assess their energy use and gives customized savings tips.