Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Pacific Union College to collaborate on wildfire prevention pilot
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and Pacific Union College announced Tuesday that they are collaborating on a project known as a Resilience Zone in Angwin, Calif., to support wildfire prevention.
The project will allow the company to continue providing electricity to community resources if power lines must be turned off due to high wildfire threats. The Resilience Zone would enable temporary mobile generation to quickly connect to the grid and energize centrally located facilities including the fire station and gas station.
“In the aftermath of the devastating wildfires in 2017 and 2018, PG&E has been exploring how to quickly but safely provide power to areas where a Public Safety Power Shutoff has been initiated,” Brandon Parker, vice president for financial administration at Pacific Union College, said. “Angwin and Pacific Union College provide an excellent location for this pilot and this partnership.”
This project includes infrastructure upgrades that will enable temporary power generation, undergrounding portions of power lines and installing more resilient poles and covered power lines. It will involve installing components such as a transformer and the associated interconnection equipment as well as a ground grid and grid isolation and protection devices.
“This partnership provides an opportunity to strengthen our Public Safety Power Shutoff program for this region by providing another safety net for customers who would be impacted by a proactive power shutoff,” Aaron Johnson, PG&E vice president of Electric Operations, said. “The cooperation between PG&E, Pacific Union College and Angwin is a crucial part of this important project, and we are excited to be working together to further enhance the safety of the community.”
The Angwin Resilience Zone project is currently under construction near Pacific Union College and is expected to be completed in early 2019.
