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1 1 (October 28, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/govbbuy0001 and id is 1 raw text is: k\ ,i ongmssona Reea rwc-h Servic,\\e California Wildfires and Bulk Electric System Reliability October 28, 2019 Introduction Many regions of the United States are susceptible to wildfires during droughts, with lightning being a frequent cause. California has been particularly affected in recent years. Since 2000, California has experienced 15 of the 20 most destructive wildfires in the state's history. However, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, electric utilities in California were responsible for several of these wildfires. In 2007, San Diego Gas and Electric was blamed for several wildfires in San Diego County, and in 2017, Southern Calitorna Edison was blamed tor the 'Thomas wildfire. One of the largest California wildfires was the Camp Fire in 2018, which was attributed to failtvy electric transmission and distribution lines equipment belonging to the Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). The 2019 California wildfires have resulted in a statewide emergency declaration. Earlier this year, PG&E announced a new wildfire mitigation plan in response to California Senate Bill (SB) 901 requiring all California electric utilities to prepare plans on constructing, maintaining, and operating their electrical lines and equipment to minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfire, which could involve shutting dowin power to thousands of customers to reduce the risks of wildfire. On October 8, 2019, PG&E implemented its plan, shutting off power to about 525,000 custoiners. Other California utilities announced similar outage plans in anticipation of strong winds of hurricane-force strength. Electric transmission lines travel from power plant substations to electric distribution substations via utility easements called rights-of-way (ROW). To mitigate the risks of power outages or damage, the ROW is kept clear of trees or vegetation that can contact the transmission line. Nevertheless, when combined with prevalent arid conditions and the seasonal high autumn winds in California, trees or branches falling on transmission lines can still cause power outages or wildfires. High winds can also cause power lines to contact each other causing electrical arcs with sparks or hot molten materials that can cause fires in dry grasses underneath them. As residential communities continue to be built in areas prone to wildfires, the wildfire risk to human life and property is increased. According to a recent peer-reviewed study pubilshed in ie proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the wildland-urban interface (WUI), the area where houses sit within or Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov IN11189 CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and C om m ittees C ongr -ess ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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