Pacific Gas and Electric announced plans to speed up the process of burying thousands of miles of powerlines in the state's highest fire risk areas. It comes as California sees warmer and drier weather setting the stage for fast-moving fires.
Too little, too late for a bunch of people, including some of the people who were burned out of their Paradise homes in the 2018 Camp Fire. They can't rebuild because they never got any money from PG&E. They only got worthless company stock by order of the bankruptcy judge. Now they're being told by Butte County that they can no longer live in RVs on their property unless they begin reconstruction of their homes, which they can't afford to rebuild.
But they're the lucky ones. They aren't among the 85 people PG&E killed in the fire.
I was in Northern Cali. I've worked those lines. couple firestorms as well. when they come up with BA trencher or plow that breaks through solid rock in the mountain country, they'll still have to find someone with a deathwish to drive such a beast. Burying all that transmission line? It's like building a pipeline, except worse, oh and through the mountains. I watched Paradise, CA burn. Their city council voted 10-1 to keep existing building codes for rebuilding instead of adopt policies to fire harden. Sure PGE got the blame but just imagine you don't have power every time the wind blows more than 15mph. That was the alternative. There system setup is part to blame but it can't be helped other than start from scratch. On a delta system, lines can hit the dirt and just burn without tripping a breaker or blowing a fuse. Couple that with dry rocky ground and it makes for piss poor grounding of services/poles/equipment. Job security for me I guess. Us dirty contractors will be fighting that shit for the next 30years and it still won't be done...
My guess is that the tree-huggers and state bureaucrats (redundant) stopped PG&E from doing this ages ago, because it would disturb/endanger some owl/songbird/lizard/insect. Now that some unintended consequences have raised their ugly head, it's all PG&E's fault it wasn't done sooner. Tell me if I'm wrong.
I know for fact at least one state agency denied approval to PG&E until now. I wonder what changed.
ReplyDeleteToo little, too late for a bunch of people, including some of the people who were burned out of their Paradise homes in the 2018 Camp Fire. They can't rebuild because they never got any money from PG&E. They only got worthless company stock by order of the bankruptcy judge.
ReplyDeleteNow they're being told by Butte County that they can no longer live in RVs on their property unless they begin reconstruction of their homes, which they can't afford to rebuild.
But they're the lucky ones. They aren't among the 85 people PG&E killed in the fire.
I was in Northern Cali. I've worked those lines. couple firestorms as well. when they come up with BA trencher or plow that breaks through solid rock in the mountain country, they'll still have to find someone with a deathwish to drive such a beast. Burying all that transmission line? It's like building a pipeline, except worse, oh and through the mountains. I watched Paradise, CA burn. Their city council voted 10-1 to keep existing building codes for rebuilding instead of adopt policies to fire harden. Sure PGE got the blame but just imagine you don't have power every time the wind blows more than 15mph. That was the alternative. There system setup is part to blame but it can't be helped other than start from scratch. On a delta system, lines can hit the dirt and just burn without tripping a breaker or blowing a fuse. Couple that with dry rocky ground and it makes for piss poor grounding of services/poles/equipment. Job security for me I guess. Us dirty contractors will be fighting that shit for the next 30years and it still won't be done...
ReplyDeleteWarmer, drier weather my ass.
ReplyDeleteToo many people building in the areas that traditionally burned every few years.
Or should I say, "Too many people".
My guess is that the tree-huggers and state bureaucrats (redundant) stopped PG&E from doing this ages ago, because it would disturb/endanger some owl/songbird/lizard/insect. Now that some unintended consequences have raised their ugly head, it's all PG&E's fault it wasn't done sooner. Tell me if I'm wrong.
ReplyDeleteAnd just what is PG&E gonna do when an earthquake snaps those underground high voltage power lines?
ReplyDeletePerspiring minds want to know!