San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has completed its comprehensive 2020 Wildfire Mitigation Plan (the Plan), a strategic three-year guide to help reduce the potential for infrastructure-related fires and help protect the safety of SDG&E’s customers, workforce and the communities it serves.
The Plan, submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission on Feb. 7, highlights a continued commitment by SDG&E to systematically and strategically harden its infrastructure against extreme weather conditions, and improve its data analytics and situational capabilities to more quickly and effectively make critical operational decisions.
The plan also incorporates a new circuit-based approach to system hardening in the High Fire-Threat District (HFTD) that aims to reduce both the risk of wildfires and potential Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) impact on customers. SDG&E is focused on implementing wildfire mitigation solutions that help reduce ignition potential and keep critical facilities and customers energized during PSPS.
“At its core, this plan is about protecting people and property. We are focused on how we keep our communities safe while reducing the customer impacts that occur during public safety power shutoffs,” said Caroline Winn, chief operating officer for SDG&E.
Since 2007, SDG&E has invested more than $1.5 billion in system hardening, situational awareness, and customer outreach and communications programs to help prevent catastrophic wildfires. These initiatives are an example of SDG&E’s commitment to customer and community safety that have helped make SDG&E a recognized leader in wildfire safety.
SDG&E’s wildfire mitigation plan has been reorganized into 10 categories. Each category includes strategies and initiatives that are either a continuation and enhancement of previous efforts or new to the 2020 Plan.
To learn more about SDG&E’s commitment to wildfire preparedness and safety over the past decade, please click here.