WEBVTT 00:00:05.179 --> 00:00:08.449 --to the public comment queue and called upon during the 00:00:08.449 --> 00:00:11.490 meeting by the Chair with the assistance of the operator. 00:00:12.740 --> 00:00:16.420 All right, this is our first shot at this. I will, again, 00:00:16.420 --> 00:00:19.850 congratulate staff on being focused on the public interest 00:00:20.500 --> 00:00:25.059 and making sure the public has an opportunity to 00:00:25.070 --> 00:00:27.370 interact and share their thoughts with the Board. 00:00:27.379 --> 00:00:31.949 So again, thank you. All right, meeting. Slide three. 00:00:32.579 --> 00:00:35.299 Are we there? 00:00:35.299 --> 00:00:38.619 Call this meeting to order. Today is April 15th. This 00:00:38.630 --> 00:00:41.890 is the third Wildfire Safety Advisory Board meeting. 00:00:41.890 --> 00:00:44.469 My name is Marcy Edwards, and I will chair this meeting. 00:00:45.579 --> 00:00:48.149 I'd like to begin and thank my fellow Board Members. 00:00:48.840 --> 00:00:53.649 For doing all the tech checks in anticipation of 00:00:53.649 --> 00:00:58.090 this meeting, and again, thank you to our IT professionals 00:00:58.840 --> 00:01:02.600 who have done an amazing job trying to tie all of this 00:01:02.609 --> 00:01:08.849 together. I do want to make a few quick observations. 00:01:09.540 --> 00:01:14.200 One is the the pandemic has altered, literally, altered 00:01:14.200 --> 00:01:17.959 the course of our lives in a different short state 00:01:17.959 --> 00:01:20.980 of time, not only in our state, but in our nation and 00:01:20.980 --> 00:01:24.870 in our world. Unprecedented changes have occurred and 00:01:25.159 --> 00:01:29.709 now color the experiences of Californians impacted by 00:01:29.709 --> 00:01:33.430 wildfires and reaffirms our commitment to work collaboratively 00:01:34.540 --> 00:01:37.219 for the benefit of the members of our great state. 00:01:37.489 --> 00:01:40.000 We want to acknowledge and thanks the civil servants 00:01:40.189 --> 00:01:42.859 of the state of California who continue to work for 00:01:42.859 --> 00:01:46.969 the benefit of us all during very tumultuous time. Our 00:01:46.969 --> 00:01:49.849 gratitude extends to our emergency essential service 00:01:49.859 --> 00:01:54.329 workers who, every single day, help our society move 00:01:54.340 --> 00:01:58.129 forward. Our nurses, our doctors, our hospital professionals, 00:01:58.140 --> 00:02:02.370 in all departments, grocers, farmers, goods movers, mail 00:02:02.370 --> 00:02:08.199 providers, custodians. I could go on and on. I do want 00:02:08.210 --> 00:02:11.490 to list a few additional acknowledgements. If the 00:02:11.490 --> 00:02:16.539 Board would permit. Further, to our Governor and 00:02:16.949 --> 00:02:20.740 staff for their continued leadership, amazingly strong 00:02:20.740 --> 00:02:24.819 support, and it is recognized and appreciated you 00:02:24.849 --> 00:02:30.650 kept wildfire safety as a priority, despite having many 00:02:30.689 --> 00:02:35.060 other critical items to address. To the CPUC Wildfire 00:02:35.060 --> 00:02:39.229 division under Carolyn Thomas Jacob's leadership. We 00:02:39.240 --> 00:02:42.710 seriously appreciate your support and your ultimate 00:02:42.710 --> 00:02:45.599 consideration of our recommendations. You guys have 00:02:45.610 --> 00:02:49.870 done a yeoman's job, to date, and people will be expecting 00:02:49.870 --> 00:02:53.889 that going forward. To the investor and publicly owned 00:02:53.889 --> 00:02:57.620 utility, who've been so supportive of our efforts, thank 00:02:57.620 --> 00:03:01.750 you. To our Board advisors, Jamie Ormond and Catherine 00:03:02.210 --> 00:03:06.870 Stockton, as well as others who been assisting them. Our 00:03:06.879 --> 00:03:10.120 heartfelt thank you. You have taken the idea of herding 00:03:10.120 --> 00:03:15.520 cats to an entirely new level. In addition, a specific 00:03:15.520 --> 00:03:19.650 nod to our Vice Chair Diane Fellman, whose understanding 00:03:19.650 --> 00:03:24.139 of the nuances and willingness to work long hours has contributed 00:03:24.150 --> 00:03:27.139 mightily to our outcomes in our processes. Diane, 00:03:27.150 --> 00:03:31.750 thank you very much. I would also like to acknowledge 00:03:32.199 --> 00:03:35.590 the public participation that we have had. The public 00:03:35.590 --> 00:03:40.340 is the reason that we do the business of the state. 00:03:40.539 --> 00:03:43.729 And it's important and appreciated that all of you 00:03:43.740 --> 00:03:46.900 continue to participate. And finally, to the members 00:03:46.900 --> 00:03:51.349 of this Board, I would acknowledge, not only you are 00:03:52.129 --> 00:03:56.030 amazing industry accumens, but also your dedication. 00:03:56.039 --> 00:03:58.509 You were appointed to a Board that said they were going 00:03:58.509 --> 00:04:03.330 to meet quarterly. And then suddenly we said, well 00:04:03.340 --> 00:04:08.169 maybe that's weekly, and in some instances, daily, and 00:04:08.169 --> 00:04:13.180 you all have stood up, again, using appropriate virtual 00:04:13.229 --> 00:04:15.909 space within the appropriate subgroups. But you all 00:04:15.909 --> 00:04:20.060 put hours of work in, and I salute your dedication 00:04:20.850 --> 00:04:23.889 and your commitment, and I appreciate your flexibility 00:04:23.949 --> 00:04:28.529 allowing me to make those acknowledgements. And with 00:04:28.540 --> 00:04:31.240 that, I would like to turn the meeting over to our 00:04:31.250 --> 00:04:34.959 Vice Chair, Diane Fellmen, to lead us in the Pledge 00:04:34.959 --> 00:04:43.139 of Allegiance. 00:04:43.139 --> 00:04:46.139 We don't have a flag, but could you all please 00:04:46.149 --> 00:04:48.866 join me from wherever you are. 00:04:48.891 --> 00:04:50.949 I pledge allegiance to 00:04:50.949 --> 00:04:55.550 the flag of the United States of America 00:04:55.550 --> 00:04:59.689 and to the Republic for which it stands 00:04:59.689 --> 00:05:04.050 one nation, under God, 00:05:04.050 --> 00:05:10.209 indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all. 00:05:10.279 --> 00:05:13.560 Thank you. Given that the fact 00:05:13.569 --> 00:05:16.670 we're trying to integrate an Internet time lag, I thought 00:05:16.670 --> 00:05:22.209 that actually went very well. Now, I'm gonna turn 00:05:22.209 --> 00:05:26.060 the meeting over to Jamie. She's going to do a brief 00:05:26.160 --> 00:05:31.500 safety moment and meeting access commentary. Jamie? 00:05:31.500 --> 00:05:34.550 Thank you, Chair Edwards. This is usually at the time 00:05:34.550 --> 00:05:38.050 that we go over safety exits, locations of bathrooms. 00:05:38.699 --> 00:05:41.490 Instead, let's please take a moment to look around 00:05:41.490 --> 00:05:44.529 our current locations and consider our own safety options 00:05:44.810 --> 00:05:47.850 right now. Additionally, I want to acknowledge Chair 00:05:47.850 --> 00:05:51.490 Edwards for directing us to explore how to make today's 00:05:51.490 --> 00:05:54.850 Board meeting into a virtual meeting. The conversation 00:05:54.850 --> 00:05:59.019 started around Thursday, March 12. Even before discussions 00:05:59.019 --> 00:06:01.439 of shelter in place. So we set out on a path to 00:06:01.449 --> 00:06:04.350 figure out how to get this done, and I really credit 00:06:04.360 --> 00:06:07.680 Chair Edwards's decisiveness with the outcome that we are 00:06:07.680 --> 00:06:11.420 among the first virtual public meetings at the CPUC. Thank 00:06:11.420 --> 00:06:15.970 you. We're doing our best to make this virtual meeting 00:06:16.220 --> 00:06:19.480 as accessible as possible. All of the information about 00:06:19.480 --> 00:06:23.040 this meeting could be found on the CPUC's Wildfire 00:06:23.040 --> 00:06:28.079 Safety Advisory Board website. Again, 00:06:28.089 --> 00:06:32.920 www.cpuc.ca.gov/wsab 00:06:32.959 --> 00:06:36.240 You can look and find all of the documents linked to the website 00:06:36.519 --> 00:06:39.079 that we're going to be discussing today. These documents 00:06:39.079 --> 00:06:43.000 include the minutes from the March 11th meeting, the 00:06:43.009 --> 00:06:45.860 agenda for today, the draft recommendations on the 00:06:45.860 --> 00:06:51.800 2020 Utility Wildfire Mitigation plan, and the updated 00:06:51.800 --> 00:06:54.189 recommendations that have some minor additions related 00:06:54.199 --> 00:06:58.089 to the COVID-19 pandemic. And today's PowerPoint 00:06:58.089 --> 00:07:00.509 presentation that is running alongside this meeting. 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:04.660 So this has been your brief safety moment, and thank you. 00:07:04.670 --> 00:07:09.399 I'm gonna turn the meeting back to Chair Edwards. 00:07:09.399 --> 00:07:12.600 Thank you, Safety Advisor Ormand, I appreciate that. 00:07:12.790 --> 00:07:17.250 All right, let's start by going over today's meeting agenda. 00:07:17.639 --> 00:07:20.310 We're gonna open, obviously, with public comment in just 00:07:20.319 --> 00:07:23.959 a moment. If you like, please press *1 in your 00:07:23.970 --> 00:07:26.949 phone to get in the queue. We're then going to discuss the 00:07:26.949 --> 00:07:31.420 meeting minutes from March 11. Then there's 00:07:31.420 --> 00:07:34.290 gonna be a presentation by the Wildfire Safety Division. 00:07:34.850 --> 00:07:38.000 Following that, we will be discussing the Wildfire Safety Advisory 00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:42.660 Board 2020 Wildfire Mitigation recommendations. This 00:07:42.660 --> 00:07:46.000 agenda is obviously a significant part of today's meeting. 00:07:46.540 --> 00:07:50.050 We're gonna fit in a stretch break at the end of that, 00:07:50.439 --> 00:07:53.189 and then, we're gonna have a presentation by representatives 00:07:53.339 --> 00:07:56.529 of the publicly owned utilities, a discussion of the 00:07:56.529 --> 00:08:02.220 Board next step, and then adjourn the meeting. So we're 00:08:02.220 --> 00:08:06.120 going to start today with public comment. Please be 00:08:06.120 --> 00:08:09.350 patient. It is very important to us that we provided the 00:08:09.360 --> 00:08:15.319 maximum amount of access points to be able for people 00:08:15.319 --> 00:08:18.490 to participate. But do be patient with our ability 00:08:18.500 --> 00:08:22.699 to integrate and understand those comments. So let's 00:08:22.699 --> 00:08:27.399 get started. First, I'd like to check the Wildfire Safety Advisory 00:08:27.399 --> 00:08:31.449 Board email box. Catherine Stockton, we have any emails? 00:08:35.940 --> 00:08:39.730 Hi, this is Catherine. We do not have any email that 00:08:39.740 --> 00:08:43.210 was, we received. We received quite a bit of 00:08:43.580 --> 00:08:49.019 emails, comments to the Board recommendations, and 00:08:49.019 --> 00:08:51.820 we will discuss those later during the meeting, 00:08:52.090 --> 00:08:56.289 but we have not received any emails for this public 00:08:56.289 --> 00:08:57.540 comment period. 00:08:57.565 --> 00:09:00.960 All right. So to clarify, the information 00:09:00.960 --> 00:09:04.450 that we received in advance, we densure that it was publicly 00:09:04.559 --> 00:09:07.169 posted. Correct? 00:09:07.169 --> 00:09:11.659 It will be available after today's meeting. 00:09:11.659 --> 00:09:13.113 Alright. Thank you. All 00:09:13.125 --> 00:09:14.590 right, I'm gonna check the chat box. Jack 00:09:14.590 --> 00:09:17.298 Chang, do we have any comments in the chat box? 00:09:17.323 --> 00:09:18.201 Hi, this is 00:09:18.200 --> 00:09:21.139 Jack Chang. We do not have any comments so far in 00:09:21.139 --> 00:09:23.093 the chat box. Thank you. 00:09:23.118 --> 00:09:25.210 Thank you so much. I'd like 00:09:25.210 --> 00:09:27.190 to check with our telephone operator. Do we have any 00:09:27.190 --> 00:09:30.950 public comments on the phone line? And if we do, please 00:09:31.370 --> 00:09:33.929 ensure you keep your comments down to three minutes, 00:09:34.019 --> 00:09:37.649 or you're gonna be here through cocktail hour. Anything? 00:09:39.139 --> 00:09:41.997 There are no questions in queue at this time. 00:09:42.022 --> 00:09:42.950 Thank you very 00:09:42.950 --> 00:09:46.490 much. Finally, I'd like to check with Public Advisor 00:09:46.490 --> 00:09:49.389 Allison Brown. Have you received any public comments? 00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:53.845 I have not. Thank you. 00:09:53.870 --> 00:09:56.193 Thank you. I appreciate that. 00:09:56.440 --> 00:10:00.440 All right, I'm gonna move into the next, the next 00:10:00.450 --> 00:10:05.789 item. I believe that's Slide Nine in the minutes, and it 00:10:05.799 --> 00:10:10.860 is, I'm sorry, in the agenda. I'm gonna move to the March 11 Board 00:10:10.860 --> 00:10:13.919 meeting minutes. Again, they can be found on the Wildfire 00:10:13.929 --> 00:10:18.019 Safety Advisory Board website. I am sure that the Board 00:10:18.019 --> 00:10:21.519 members have all had an opportunity, do any of you 00:10:21.529 --> 00:10:27.809 have edits or additions after your review? 00:10:27.809 --> 00:10:31.980 Seeing none, I would ask for a motion to approve the 00:10:31.980 --> 00:10:36.059 minutes of March 11th. 00:10:36.084 --> 00:10:37.419 I-- 00:10:37.419 --> 00:10:39.330 I didn't-- 00:10:39.330 --> 00:10:41.490 Oh, God, you guys, you're so fast. I couldn't see who 00:10:41.490 --> 00:10:44.789 did it. 00:10:44.789 --> 00:10:48.669 Thank you, Ralph. It's been moved by Member Ralph Armstrong. 00:10:48.669 --> 00:10:52.799 Do I have a second? 00:10:52.799 --> 00:10:53.929 I second 00:10:53.954 --> 00:10:57.320 Second by Alexandera Seaheart. And Board Member 00:10:57.320 --> 00:11:00.039 Porter, I saw your lips moving, but I didn't hear you. 00:11:00.049 --> 00:11:03.490 So let's make sure you can effect, you can communicate 00:11:03.500 --> 00:11:11.409 with us. All right, all in favor, say aye. 00:11:11.409 --> 00:11:12.859 Aye 00:11:12.884 --> 00:11:16.340 Any opposition? 00:11:16.340 --> 00:11:20.980 All right. So the minutes are approved as diseminated. 00:11:22.409 --> 00:11:29.809 Okay, now, we're looking at a slide 10. First, again, 00:11:29.860 --> 00:11:32.610 and I know it's repetitive, but I don't think many 00:11:32.610 --> 00:11:36.039 people realize the Wildfire Safety Division was created 00:11:36.049 --> 00:11:40.259 literally out of nothing, and they hit the ground running. 00:11:40.950 --> 00:11:46.470 And they have done, to date, a amazing job, and so are 00:11:46.779 --> 00:11:50.379 privileged to have them make a presentation here today. 00:11:51.039 --> 00:11:53.960 I am going to turn the meeting over to the Wildfire 00:11:53.970 --> 00:11:57.190 Safety Division's Melissa Senser and Christopher 00:11:57.190 --> 00:12:01.639 Meyer. And Operator, could you umute the phone lines for 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:05.639 Miss Senser and Mr Meyer. 00:12:05.639 --> 00:12:08.879 And please let me know, both of you, when you are connected. 00:12:08.909 --> 00:12:13.409 So I can hear you. 00:12:13.409 --> 00:12:16.013 This is Melissa. Can you hear me? 00:12:16.038 --> 00:12:16.881 Excellent. 00:12:18.039 --> 00:12:22.840 How about you? 00:12:22.840 --> 00:12:29.269 I don't know where Mr Meyer went. 00:12:29.269 --> 00:12:35.940 Christopher, are you on? 00:12:35.940 --> 00:12:39.494 Okay, Well, I can go ahead and get started. 00:12:39.519 --> 00:12:40.703 Perfect 00:12:40.889 --> 00:12:41.597 Perfect. 00:12:41.622 --> 00:12:43.720 I know I saw him on earlier. 00:12:43.730 --> 00:12:47.240 So, hopefully, he'll be able to come through in 00:12:47.240 --> 00:12:52.730 a moment. But thank you for handing this 00:12:52.730 --> 00:12:55.980 over to us to give an opportunity to give an update 00:12:55.990 --> 00:13:00.950 on where things are today. First, I want to start by saying 00:13:01.090 --> 00:13:03.659 thank you very much to the Board for 00:13:03.669 --> 00:13:07.070 the input that was put out in draft form 00:13:07.070 --> 00:13:12.409 on April 2nd. In the terms of the Board recommendation. 00:13:12.899 --> 00:13:17.159 We have read those and digested those. The Evaluation 00:13:17.159 --> 00:13:20.500 team has read and digested those. And we're looking 00:13:20.500 --> 00:13:24.820 forward to hearing where those recommendations move 00:13:24.830 --> 00:13:27.929 today. In terms of the feedback that you all received 00:13:27.940 --> 00:13:31.519 from various members of the public. We also read the 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:33.519 comments that you all received from members of the 00:13:33.519 --> 00:13:38.700 public and are looking forward to receiving the 00:13:38.700 --> 00:13:43.009 final input from the Board on the 2020 Wildfire Mitigation 00:13:43.009 --> 00:13:45.889 plans that we are currently in the process of evaluating. 00:13:46.440 --> 00:13:49.190 That's the main thing I wanted to say, and then, 00:13:49.190 --> 00:13:53.220 as far as an update as to where we are today, we 00:13:53.220 --> 00:13:57.909 are well in our review process, same as we were before 00:13:57.909 --> 00:14:02.220 but much further along. We had a large group of subject 00:14:02.220 --> 00:14:05.259 matter experts, both from the Public Utilities Commission 00:14:05.259 --> 00:14:08.480 and from CalFire, who have been working diligently, 00:14:09.240 --> 00:14:13.009 almost around the clock, to provide an evaluation 00:14:13.009 --> 00:14:15.870 of the various aspects of the Wildfire Mitigation plans. 00:14:16.240 --> 00:14:19.490 And we also have a team of writers who are also incredibly 00:14:19.490 --> 00:14:24.610 dedicated and working very hard to put together the 00:14:24.889 --> 00:14:29.720 resolutions and dispositions, essentially, on those Wildfire 00:14:29.720 --> 00:14:33.620 Mitigation plans. In consideration of the plans, we're 00:14:33.620 --> 00:14:37.460 looking at the valuations from our subject matter experts 00:14:37.809 --> 00:14:41.110 as well as comments from the Board, comments that we 00:14:41.110 --> 00:14:45.299 received from stakeholders which included organizations 00:14:45.299 --> 00:14:48.110 that are usually parties to proceedings, as well as members 00:14:48.110 --> 00:14:51.450 of the public, and we receive those on April 7th. 00:14:51.450 --> 00:14:54.299 And then we'll have reply comments from the utilities 00:14:54.309 --> 00:14:58.309 that we will receive on April 16th, tomorrow, and all 00:14:58.309 --> 00:15:01.039 of that is coming together to inform our analysis, 00:15:01.049 --> 00:15:04.850 which is still on schedule to be released on May 7th. 00:15:05.440 --> 00:15:10.009 And that where we are today 00:15:10.009 --> 00:15:13.152 as far as the Wildfire Mitigation plans. 00:15:13.177 --> 00:15:14.200 Were we able 00:15:14.210 --> 00:15:19.750 to locate Christopher Meyer? 00:15:19.750 --> 00:15:25.129 Yes, I'm here. They've unmuted me. 00:15:25.129 --> 00:15:30.120 And what do you have necessarily to add that, Jeff. I'm 00:15:30.120 --> 00:15:35.019 sorry, Chris. I know a Jeff Meyer. 00:15:35.019 --> 00:15:39.539 Basically, we've been following with rapt attention 00:15:39.539 --> 00:15:41.289 all the work Melissa and her team have been doing 00:15:41.289 --> 00:15:46.019 to review the plan, and in a parallel path in getting 00:15:46.019 --> 00:15:49.490 ready to get out into the field and do compliance. Both 00:15:49.490 --> 00:15:54.269 on those 2020 plans but also getting out there and working 00:15:54.269 --> 00:15:58.019 on doing compliance on what they're doing for the 2019 00:15:58.019 --> 00:16:02.529 plans so that we're ready to go for the upcoming fire 00:16:02.529 --> 00:16:07.070 season. So right now, what my team has been working on is 00:16:08.080 --> 00:16:11.389 drafting the criteria for the independent evaluator. 00:16:11.700 --> 00:16:15.470 It was delayed a little bit by the COVID-19 and 00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:19.990 reprioritization of staff, but we've just put it in for 00:16:19.990 --> 00:16:23.730 internal review for the process that we talked about 00:16:23.740 --> 00:16:27.669 the last meeting and get that out for a solicitation. 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:32.070 We're also, we've been reviewing data responses 00:16:32.080 --> 00:16:36.139 from PG&E on our review of their 2019 compliance 00:16:36.139 --> 00:16:40.049 report, and we're on schedule to have our draft review 00:16:40.049 --> 00:16:42.799 completed by the end of April. And then, once that 00:16:42.799 --> 00:16:47.769 goes through division and legal review, then that 00:16:47.769 --> 00:16:54.539 will get published for public viewing. We're 00:16:54.539 --> 00:16:59.039 also, we're starting to review of Edison and SDG&E 00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:02.909 2019 compliance reports, and we're focusing 00:17:02.909 --> 00:17:05.970 on the resolving noncompliant areas that they identified. 00:17:06.539 --> 00:17:10.259 So the IOUs self identified where they didn't meet 00:17:10.940 --> 00:17:13.440 the expectations in those plans. And we're working 00:17:13.440 --> 00:17:18.500 to complete those reviews by July. And one thing we will 00:17:18.500 --> 00:17:22.170 be focused on addressing and correcting the issues 00:17:22.170 --> 00:17:27.519 they identified as not having reached their goals 00:17:27.529 --> 00:17:33.970 in the 2019 plan. Also, staff, we build a standard 00:17:33.970 --> 00:17:37.099 operating procedure for field inspections to get the 00:17:37.109 --> 00:17:40.450 staff out on the field. And in light of COVID, we put 00:17:40.609 --> 00:17:46.460 out a separate standard operating procedure for safe field 00:17:46.460 --> 00:17:50.829 work during our current situation. Just to give you a 00:17:50.829 --> 00:17:54.950 very high level idea. That's just our staff, making 00:17:54.950 --> 00:18:00.289 sure that they're keeping well in excess of the normal 00:18:00.299 --> 00:18:05.759 social distancing and really avoiding confined spaces, 00:18:05.769 --> 00:18:10.839 common areas while still being able to provide the oversight 00:18:10.849 --> 00:18:17.980 required by expectations. And we're, in light 00:18:17.980 --> 00:18:22.349 of the fact that there could be changes in the termination 00:18:22.349 --> 00:18:24.240 of, you know, whether it's safe or not to go in the 00:18:24.250 --> 00:18:27.769 field, we've been developing fallback methodologies 00:18:27.789 --> 00:18:31.450 for performing audits of the IOU compliance with their 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:35.920 Wildfire Mitigation Plans if field inspections are 00:18:35.920 --> 00:18:41.390 not possible. These would, you know, be daily, weekly inspection 00:18:41.390 --> 00:18:45.630 reports from IOUs and their contractors. Yes, you 00:18:45.630 --> 00:18:49.619 could get access to those. Real time, or at least near 00:18:49.619 --> 00:18:54.450 real time video or photo documentation from those IOU contractors, 00:18:55.009 --> 00:18:59.769 so we can see what being performed and have appropriate 00:18:59.769 --> 00:19:02.900 dialogues with them on any questions we have. And then 00:19:03.109 --> 00:19:07.279 data requests, either formal or informal and regular WEBEX 00:19:07.289 --> 00:19:10.519 meetings with the IOUs to address any questions we 00:19:10.519 --> 00:19:14.210 have on these ongoing wildfire mitigation work. 00:19:14.210 --> 00:19:17.440 Those are, that's sort of our backup plan, so that 00:19:17.809 --> 00:19:22.799 we are not sitting idle while the COVID has sort of 00:19:22.809 --> 00:19:26.829 changed our normal procedures. We are also working closely 00:19:26.829 --> 00:19:29.950 with the Boston Consulting Group on finalizing the 00:19:29.960 --> 00:19:34.890 complaince plan and working to get sort of the best 00:19:34.900 --> 00:19:39.200 GIS capabilities for our team, so 00:19:39.200 --> 00:19:42.230 we can have the right information to make good decisions 00:19:42.230 --> 00:19:46.839 on how to allocate our resources. And then, the 00:19:46.849 --> 00:19:49.650 thing that's final would be finalizing our contract 00:19:49.660 --> 00:19:53.529 for our compliance assurance contractor and working to 00:19:53.529 --> 00:19:56.640 get them, you know, going on both their risk analysis 00:19:56.640 --> 00:20:00.660 work and them getting their experts out in the field, 00:20:01.259 --> 00:20:05.240 understanding that there experts would be under the 00:20:05.250 --> 00:20:08.710 same protocols as ours for operating safely in a 00:20:08.710 --> 00:20:12.690 COVID-19 environment. So that's just a quick 00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:15.250 overview of what we're working on and I'm available for 00:20:15.250 --> 00:20:16.279 any questions. 00:20:16.304 --> 00:20:19.244 Thank you, Mr Meyer. We appreciate that. 00:20:19.740 --> 00:20:25.009 I am interested in entertaining any questions from 00:20:25.009 --> 00:20:28.420 the Board Members they may have with respect to that 00:20:28.420 --> 00:20:32.109 last presentation. You can either tell me through chat 00:20:32.119 --> 00:20:34.539 for just raise your hand cause I can see all of you 00:20:34.579 --> 00:20:38.769 at the moment. 00:20:38.769 --> 00:20:41.609 I thought it was very well thought out. I thought their 00:20:41.619 --> 00:20:47.240 fallback plans were were certainly adequate. I myself 00:20:47.250 --> 00:20:50.009 don't have any questions, but I do want to make sure 00:20:50.009 --> 00:20:53.180 that any of you who have an interest in getting an 00:20:53.180 --> 00:20:59.890 oar in the water have a chance. 00:20:59.890 --> 00:21:03.980 All right, I would like to thank both Ms. Senser 00:21:03.980 --> 00:21:09.539 and Mr Meyer for their information. The 00:21:09.539 --> 00:21:15.509 Wildfire Safety division is, in fact, agency that is in 00:21:15.509 --> 00:21:19.269 control of a a lot of this, and their willingness to think past, 00:21:20.950 --> 00:21:23.980 you know, the the older procedures, their willingness 00:21:23.990 --> 00:21:28.349 to entertain the new thoughts. I have been very impressed 00:21:28.359 --> 00:21:35.680 with them to date. So, that's my my two cents. Alright, 00:21:35.680 --> 00:21:39.380 thank you both. You can probably drop off 00:21:39.390 --> 00:21:42.700 at this point. Unless you're just vehemently interested 00:21:42.700 --> 00:21:44.940 in listening to the rest of our meeting, at which point 00:21:45.079 --> 00:21:47.166 you're certainly welcome. 00:21:47.191 --> 00:21:48.863 Thank you very much. 00:21:48.888 --> 00:21:50.780 Thank you. 00:21:50.805 --> 00:21:52.130 Thank You 00:21:52.130 --> 00:21:57.309 Moving to slide 12, we get into the topic that 00:21:57.309 --> 00:21:59.490 is basically the heart of our meeting. We're going 00:21:59.490 --> 00:22:03.039 to discuss the draft Wildfire Safety Advisory Board 00:22:03.049 --> 00:22:08.119 2020 Wildfire Mitigation plan. And we put together 00:22:08.119 --> 00:22:12.750 these recommendations on the plans developed by 00:22:12.750 --> 00:22:15.799 the utilities pursuant to the requirements in Senate 00:22:15.799 --> 00:22:20.950 Bill 1054. We didn't have some discussion, debate 00:22:20.960 --> 00:22:26.640 about this earlier. I personally, and I am guided by 00:22:26.640 --> 00:22:32.099 the Board, do not see a benefit in having the investor 00:22:32.099 --> 00:22:37.829 owneds resubmit for 2020. I think the barn door has generally 00:22:37.829 --> 00:22:43.049 closed. I think they can use our feedback on 2020 to 00:22:43.059 --> 00:22:50.700 help inform 2021, but again, that is simply 00:22:50.710 --> 00:22:55.670 my opinion, not the opinion of the group. So all 00:22:55.670 --> 00:23:03.650 right, we are, let me see, slide 12. The Draft 2020 Wildfire 00:23:03.650 --> 00:23:06.599 Mitigation plan recommendations can be found posted 00:23:06.599 --> 00:23:11.450 on the Wildfire Safety Advisory Board website. We 00:23:11.450 --> 00:23:15.180 are going to, oh, good. I love the fact that state has 00:23:15.190 --> 00:23:19.109 a lot of public comments, but oh my goodness. 00:23:19.109 --> 00:23:22.779 Okay, we're gonna do public comments, one more time, 00:23:22.779 --> 00:23:27.799 to make sure we have captured the thoughts of the audience. 00:23:28.519 --> 00:23:32.049 So, let's get started again. Catherine. I'm sorry, 00:23:32.049 --> 00:23:35.579 Advisor Stockton, do you have any email communication with 00:23:35.579 --> 00:23:41.549 respect to this item? 00:23:41.549 --> 00:23:46.539 One moment. 00:23:46.539 --> 00:23:51.450 No, we have not received any emails at this time. 00:23:52.400 --> 00:23:55.077 Thank you. I'm going to check 00:23:55.089 --> 00:23:57.549 the chat box. Jack Chang? We have anything? 00:23:59.509 --> 00:24:02.259 We do not have any comments in the chatbox. Thank you 00:24:02.400 --> 00:24:04.289 Thank you. 00:24:04.289 --> 00:24:07.059 I'd like to check with our telephone operator. We have any 00:24:07.059 --> 00:24:09.796 public comment on the phone lines? 00:24:09.821 --> 00:24:12.130 There are no public comments 00:24:12.130 --> 00:24:13.938 on the line at this time. 00:24:13.963 --> 00:24:16.180 I appreciate that. And finally 00:24:16.180 --> 00:24:19.289 like to check the public advisor, Allison Brown. Have 00:24:19.299 --> 00:24:22.920 you received any public comments? 00:24:22.920 --> 00:24:26.480 I have not received a public comment at this time. 00:24:26.480 --> 00:24:30.890 I appreciate that. I will, again, notice for the public 00:24:31.400 --> 00:24:36.140 the high level of interest by this Board on receiving 00:24:36.140 --> 00:24:40.970 and integrating your feedback. So it is very important 00:24:40.970 --> 00:24:44.900 to us. We are doing the business of the state, and 00:24:44.900 --> 00:24:49.420 these people are here to serve you. So I want to ensure 00:24:49.500 --> 00:24:52.220 that you feel comfortable in providing comments in 00:24:52.220 --> 00:24:56.410 whatever framework works for you. 00:24:56.410 --> 00:25:00.869 Okay, so now I'd like to give our Board Members the 00:25:00.880 --> 00:25:05.730 opportunity to provide their comments. 00:25:05.730 --> 00:25:10.990 Oh, good. I'm missing a page. That'll be fun. Okay. 00:25:11.950 --> 00:25:16.089 Let me see here. Okay. Before we get into a more general 00:25:16.089 --> 00:25:18.990 discussion, I would first like to call on our vice chair, 00:25:19.819 --> 00:25:25.950 Ms. Fellman, and I would like to hear what she has to 00:25:25.960 --> 00:25:30.670 say with respect to the overall recommendations. Vice Chair? 00:25:30.730 --> 00:25:33.509 Thank you, Chair. 00:25:33.509 --> 00:25:36.862 I just want to confirm that I'm audible? 00:25:36.887 --> 00:25:38.411 I can hear you. 00:25:38.436 --> 00:25:39.489 Thank you. 00:25:39.515 --> 00:25:44.043 I want to thank all the Board Members 00:25:44.289 --> 00:25:48.740 and our advisors in helping us get to this point. I 00:25:48.750 --> 00:25:53.319 add my thanks to the sentiments already expressed by 00:25:53.450 --> 00:25:58.509 Chair Edwards and also underscore that we have produced 00:25:58.599 --> 00:26:02.690 this set of recommendations under unprecedented, 00:26:02.890 --> 00:26:07.819 I mean, no one, everyone uses that word, conditions, and 00:26:07.819 --> 00:26:12.660 we were able to deliver on schedule. We aimed, in this 00:26:12.660 --> 00:26:17.500 round, to put forth recommendations that were concise 00:26:18.210 --> 00:26:24.380 and specific, so we organized around the 10 categories 00:26:24.390 --> 00:26:28.000 that are being used by the Wildfire Safety Division 00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:32.779 in its analysis, and we developed our 11 recommendations 00:26:32.779 --> 00:26:38.059 under a very short turnaround times. We appreciate, again, 00:26:38.059 --> 00:26:41.190 I'm echoing the thanks from Chair Edwards, the comments 00:26:41.190 --> 00:26:43.970 from all the stakeholders. We've had a chance to look 00:26:43.970 --> 00:26:46.539 at those, and we will consider those comments carefully 00:26:46.539 --> 00:26:49.950 in our process for these recommendations as well as 00:26:50.900 --> 00:26:54.650 to the extent they inform what we're going to be doing 00:26:54.650 --> 00:27:02.009 on the 2021 WMP guidelines. One area that I want to 00:27:02.019 --> 00:27:07.109 underscore is the integral role of communities and 00:27:07.119 --> 00:27:11.359 communication between the communities and the IOUs 00:27:11.359 --> 00:27:16.349 to the success of specific mitigation endeavors. 00:27:16.920 --> 00:27:20.589 And this is something that, as we've heard, the Commission 00:27:20.599 --> 00:27:23.390 is already, the Public Utilities Commission and the 00:27:23.390 --> 00:27:27.089 other key agencies, are already working on, and we want 00:27:27.089 --> 00:27:31.119 to make sure the Board, in our recommendation, that 00:27:31.250 --> 00:27:35.910 those efforts are visible to all stakeholders and consolidated 00:27:35.910 --> 00:27:42.140 in a way that is very concise in the WMP to increase 00:27:42.140 --> 00:27:46.720 efficiency and avoid duplication. So again, I 00:27:47.109 --> 00:27:50.190 look forward to continuing to work on this process, 00:27:50.190 --> 00:27:53.049 and I appreciate all the support that we've been given 00:27:53.599 --> 00:28:01.119 by the Board Members, by their advisors, and by all the stakeholders. 00:28:01.279 --> 00:28:03.839 Thank you. 00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:07.970 Thank you, Vice Chair. And while I said it earlier, 00:28:07.970 --> 00:28:10.849 I will get underscore your contributions have been 00:28:11.440 --> 00:28:15.789 amazing and significant, and I'm personally appreciative, 00:28:15.799 --> 00:28:20.079 and I'm sure the public is as well. That having been 00:28:20.089 --> 00:28:22.759 said, Board Member Porter, is there anything you would 00:28:22.759 --> 00:28:25.000 like to stay with respect ro this? 00:28:25.025 --> 00:28:26.474 Yes, I actually would. 00:28:27.640 --> 00:28:33.680 Just like Vice Chair Fellman mentioned, this was a 00:28:33.690 --> 00:28:38.349 strong effort by this Board and to help articulate 00:28:39.119 --> 00:28:45.500 our recommendations, our staff. Jamie Ormond and 00:28:45.500 --> 00:28:49.240 Catherine Stockton are wonderful, and they helped 00:28:49.240 --> 00:28:54.259 us to bring alive what we were truly trying to communicate, 00:28:54.410 --> 00:29:00.519 which in the WMPs for 2020, this is entry level. 00:29:00.819 --> 00:29:05.000 And we want many of those public comments and those 00:29:05.009 --> 00:29:07.799 stakeholders to understand that there has to 00:29:07.799 --> 00:29:12.930 be a place where we jump off, and we bring together 00:29:12.940 --> 00:29:17.849 a one-mindedness for all of the IOU's. It's important. 00:29:18.400 --> 00:29:22.759 They may want to consider themselves different, which 00:29:22.759 --> 00:29:26.150 is, you know, proprietary, how the sausage is made. 00:29:26.160 --> 00:29:29.849 But the real threat is how the sausage is eaten, which 00:29:29.849 --> 00:29:33.740 is wildfires. 00:29:33.740 --> 00:29:38.150 We really have to have a concerted effort in finding 00:29:38.150 --> 00:29:43.019 the commonalities in the threat that we face, 00:29:43.109 --> 00:29:48.980 they face, and start finding best practices. And I believe 00:29:49.230 --> 00:29:54.309 with this group of conscious, very intelligent and 00:29:54.400 --> 00:29:57.970 like-minded individuals, I think we found, in our first 00:29:58.250 --> 00:30:03.000 set of recommendations, a really good jump off point 00:30:03.000 --> 00:30:06.859 or starting point for the IOUS and for the Wildfire 00:30:06.859 --> 00:30:10.660 Safety Division to help recommend and implement. 00:30:14.920 --> 00:30:16.473 Board Member Porter, I 00:30:16.485 --> 00:30:18.170 can do nothing but wholeheartedly endorse 00:30:18.900 --> 00:30:22.299 your comments and thank you for them. I would like 00:30:22.309 --> 00:30:27.640 to acknowledge Board Member John Mader. 00:30:27.640 --> 00:30:31.339 All right, thank you, Chairman Edwards. So first 00:30:31.339 --> 00:30:34.750 off, I want to just say that I want to acknowledge the 00:30:34.759 --> 00:30:38.430 tremendous work of the Wildfire Safety division in 00:30:38.430 --> 00:30:41.509 the creation of the 2020 Wildfire Mitigation plans 00:30:41.509 --> 00:30:43.470 guidelines. 00:30:43.470 --> 00:30:47.039 Just the fact that they are a common platform that 00:30:47.049 --> 00:30:50.140 was needed so that it was possible to compare and contrast 00:30:50.569 --> 00:30:54.190 the different wildfire mitigation plans, and being 00:30:54.190 --> 00:30:57.490 able to determine deficiencies and best practices 00:30:57.720 --> 00:31:01.819 much more efficiently. Also, the fact that they provide 00:31:01.930 --> 00:31:06.609 a lot of technical detail and areas to look towards 00:31:06.619 --> 00:31:10.869 wildfire risk reduction. 00:31:10.869 --> 00:31:15.019 And that that's been a common guidance across the 00:31:15.029 --> 00:31:19.410 three IOUs, been very helpful. And I gotta say that if 00:31:19.410 --> 00:31:24.589 you compare the 2019 Wildfire Mitigation plans to the 00:31:24.589 --> 00:31:28.279 2020 Wildfire Mitigation plans, you definitely see 00:31:28.289 --> 00:31:32.990 a marked increase in the quality of those plans. Now, 00:31:33.000 --> 00:31:36.670 there's obviously room for improvement. We can always 00:31:36.680 --> 00:31:41.140 make improvements. And when looking at the 2020 00:31:41.750 --> 00:31:45.819 Wildfire Mitigation plans, I primarily focused in on 00:31:46.250 --> 00:31:50.670 risk and efficiency, the criteria for hardening 00:31:50.680 --> 00:31:55.859 during potential PSPS events, and the outsource allocation. 00:31:57.029 --> 00:32:00.740 And the reason I did that is because when you're looking 00:32:00.740 --> 00:32:05.450 at wildfire risk reduction, I distinguish between wildfire 00:32:05.450 --> 00:32:08.849 risk reduction and catastrophic wildfire risks reduction. 00:32:09.839 --> 00:32:13.619 All wildfires are bad. We don't want to have any wildfire 00:32:13.619 --> 00:32:16.910 that could be prevented. But the reason why 00:32:16.910 --> 00:32:19.339 we're here and we're going to this effort is because 00:32:19.349 --> 00:32:24.440 of catastrophic wildfires and the need to reduce the 00:32:24.450 --> 00:32:28.660 risk of those events. And the most determinative factor 00:32:29.119 --> 00:32:34.819 for catastrophic wildfires are high wind events. Now, 00:32:34.829 --> 00:32:38.009 the WMPs have a lot of detail about how to reduce 00:32:38.009 --> 00:32:43.000 the risk of wildfires, but primarily, the way that we 00:32:43.000 --> 00:32:46.789 can, that the WMP reduce the risk of catastrophic 00:32:46.789 --> 00:32:52.390 wildfires is through PSPS events. That is because of 00:32:52.390 --> 00:32:58.529 a number of factors. Absent of analysis of vegetation 00:32:58.529 --> 00:33:03.240 management, enhanced maintenance, and hardening 00:33:03.240 --> 00:33:08.299 techniques to determine the, quantitatively, the reduction 00:33:08.309 --> 00:33:14.180 in wildfire risk. It's hard to leave in operation 00:33:15.289 --> 00:33:19.799 potential facilities that could lead to the risk of 00:33:19.869 --> 00:33:26.680 wildfires. So therefore, the main tool, absent hardening, 00:33:26.690 --> 00:33:30.430 which, I mean, absent undergrounding which is cost and 00:33:30.430 --> 00:33:36.329 time prohibitive is the PSPS events. That's why, when 00:33:36.329 --> 00:33:40.089 I was looking at the wildfire mitigation plans, I looked 00:33:40.089 --> 00:33:45.480 to make recommendations to include PSPS, not just as 00:33:45.480 --> 00:33:48.390 a solution, but as an acknowledgement that, as a solution 00:33:48.390 --> 00:33:52.220 to the reduction of wildfire risk, it also introduces something 00:33:52.220 --> 00:33:54.440 that's undesirable, which is the absence of power 00:33:54.440 --> 00:33:59.960 for IOU's customers. That itself is a risk. And 00:34:00.930 --> 00:34:04.980 I looked to develop recommendations to incorporate 00:34:04.980 --> 00:34:11.349 that risk into risk spend deficiency so that, 00:34:11.349 --> 00:34:16.300 but in order to do that, you've got a look at what 00:34:16.510 --> 00:34:19.409 kind of risk reduction are you getting from your different 00:34:19.420 --> 00:34:24.900 efforts, so that you can not only determine the reduction 00:34:24.909 --> 00:34:30.750 in wildfire risk, but also possibly being able to avoid 00:34:30.750 --> 00:34:35.179 PSPS events because of the ability of the 00:34:35.190 --> 00:34:38.829 IOU to reduce the risk of wildfires through different 00:34:38.829 --> 00:34:42.750 hardening techniques or maintenance techniques. But include those into 00:34:42.750 --> 00:34:47.389 the risk spend deficiency. And then, look at resource 00:34:47.389 --> 00:34:51.610 allocation. You know, this is going to be likely a 00:34:51.619 --> 00:34:54.889 decades long effort to reduce the risk of wildfire 00:34:55.130 --> 00:34:58.849 through the state. You just cannot invent enough material 00:34:58.860 --> 00:35:03.190 or lineman or designers to, overnight, to be able to 00:35:03.190 --> 00:35:05.960 transform your system, which means that you're going 00:35:05.960 --> 00:35:08.929 to have to start allocating resources to be able to 00:35:08.929 --> 00:35:11.650 get the most bang for your buck. The most ability to both 00:35:11.690 --> 00:35:15.840 reduce wildfires and to be able to avoid the need 00:35:15.840 --> 00:35:20.250 for PSPS in areas that affect the customers the most. 00:35:21.710 --> 00:35:27.599 So, now, 2020 as Chair Edwards, as you pointed out, that 00:35:27.610 --> 00:35:32.159 the cows are out and the barn door is closed, but 00:35:32.440 --> 00:35:36.019 I think that what this Wildfire Safety Advisory Board 00:35:36.110 --> 00:35:39.099 will be looking is towards advisoring the Wildfire 00:35:39.099 --> 00:35:42.739 Safety Division as they create their 2021 Wildfire 00:35:42.739 --> 00:35:47.110 Mitigation plan guidelines to be able to introduce 00:35:47.429 --> 00:35:51.340 PSPS, not just as a solution, but also having its own 00:35:51.340 --> 00:35:57.739 risk and ways to mitigate those risks. 00:35:57.739 --> 00:36:01.028 I find that very insightful, 00:36:01.040 --> 00:36:03.480 Board Member Maynbard. I truly do. 00:36:03.480 --> 00:36:10.230 Anything you need to say as a close? 00:36:10.230 --> 00:36:13.739 Well, you know, like I said, there's gonna be a decades 00:36:13.739 --> 00:36:19.150 long effort. And if we can come up with the type of 00:36:19.150 --> 00:36:22.800 resource allocation and the kind of criteria to begin 00:36:22.860 --> 00:36:27.500 to reduce risk, wildfire risk, and to be able to leave 00:36:27.500 --> 00:36:31.579 people in power and were able to concentrate it in 00:36:31.590 --> 00:36:36.659 say specific strategic areas. Then when there is a 00:36:36.659 --> 00:36:41.150 PSPS event, say, in a county like Amador 00:36:41.150 --> 00:36:47.320 County. And if enough hardening and extra mitigation 00:36:47.320 --> 00:36:50.050 efforts are done, you could potentially be able to 00:36:50.050 --> 00:36:52.829 see a situation where you'll be able to leave the county 00:36:52.829 --> 00:36:58.079 chair in power during the PSPS events. And the tolerance for 00:36:58.079 --> 00:37:01.650 the population if we have to go to a PSPS event is 00:37:01.650 --> 00:37:05.139 a lot different than if you're able to go 20 minutes over 00:37:05.460 --> 00:37:07.949 and go to the grocery store and get your gas. Those 00:37:07.949 --> 00:37:11.099 kind of things. Then if you have to drive two hours out 00:37:11.110 --> 00:37:15.079 of the high fire threat district area. 00:37:15.079 --> 00:37:17.070 And that's kind of what I'm looking, hoping that we 00:37:17.079 --> 00:37:21.099 see, that kind of resource allocation is 00:37:21.099 --> 00:37:25.349 driven by the 2021 Wildfire Mitigation Plan guidelines. 00:37:27.460 --> 00:37:31.420 I hear you and it's very much appreciated. 00:37:32.429 --> 00:37:36.289 If it's all right with the Board, I'd like 00:37:36.300 --> 00:37:40.630 to move on to Board Member Armstrong. 00:37:40.630 --> 00:37:45.210 Yes. Thank you, Chair. Vice Chair Fellman. 00:37:45.219 --> 00:37:48.039 And regular Board Members. You know, I just want to 00:37:48.320 --> 00:37:52.269 echo, in an effort not to sound like a broken record 00:37:52.309 --> 00:37:55.449 and repeat what everybody else has already said. 00:37:56.090 --> 00:37:59.190 This is one of the things as you, further down the list, 00:37:59.769 --> 00:38:02.719 when you get to comment, 00:38:02.719 --> 00:38:05.110 you know, some of the things that you wanted to say 00:38:05.110 --> 00:38:07.150 were brought up, so I'll try to keep it kind of short. 00:38:07.880 --> 00:38:10.380 You know, I do need to echo, you know, as I was 00:38:10.389 --> 00:38:14.510 trying to prepare my comments, just thinking about, 00:38:15.219 --> 00:38:18.599 you know, all the people that are out there dealing 00:38:18.599 --> 00:38:25.289 with the virus. The doctors, the first responders, 00:38:25.389 --> 00:38:28.150 the everybody that you mentioned Chair Edwards at 00:38:28.150 --> 00:38:32.329 the beginning, and including the people working 00:38:32.329 --> 00:38:35.210 in the energy sector, the men and women that are out 00:38:35.219 --> 00:38:39.969 in the, you know, in the field working on maintenance, 00:38:39.980 --> 00:38:44.599 wildfire hardening projects, the vegetation management, 00:38:44.610 --> 00:38:47.639 enhance vegetation management. That work is continuing 00:38:47.639 --> 00:38:50.800 to go on right now to, 00:38:50.800 --> 00:38:52.989 you know, hopefully get ahead of this year's 00:38:53.000 --> 00:38:59.880 fire season. Just like this pandemic, 00:39:00.070 --> 00:39:03.889 a lot of decisions are made by, you know, great 00:39:03.889 --> 00:39:06.670 leadership in this state. The governor has made 00:39:06.670 --> 00:39:11.320 some some bold moves that have not gone unnoticed all 00:39:11.320 --> 00:39:17.420 the way to Washington, D. C. And you could see the 00:39:17.769 --> 00:39:19.789 comments coming all the way from the President on what 00:39:19.789 --> 00:39:23.190 a great job dealing with this crisis. And I'd like 00:39:23.190 --> 00:39:25.960 to compare that it doesn't take much to not find some 00:39:25.960 --> 00:39:30.789 type of parallels into wildfire issues in 00:39:30.789 --> 00:39:32.820 the state of California. You know, we've got issues 00:39:32.820 --> 00:39:36.969 here, especially as they pertain to utility assets 00:39:37.099 --> 00:39:42.880 and trying to find ways to mitigate those. A lot 00:39:42.880 --> 00:39:46.829 of decisions made with this pandemic were not popular 00:39:46.829 --> 00:39:49.969 decisions, but they save lives. And I like to think 00:39:49.969 --> 00:39:53.969 the same way with some of the wildfire mitigation 00:39:53.969 --> 00:39:57.610 plans. They may not be popular, but, you know, given 00:39:57.760 --> 00:40:01.289 the time frame the utilities had to put these things 00:40:01.289 --> 00:40:04.539 together. 00:40:04.539 --> 00:40:07.519 We've got to believe that they are, as well, saving lives. 00:40:08.210 --> 00:40:12.969 So just looking at everything from a realistic 00:40:12.969 --> 00:40:16.429 standpoint, reading the thousands of hundreds of pages, 00:40:16.440 --> 00:40:19.489 thousands of pages of wildfire mitigation plans, and 00:40:19.500 --> 00:40:22.190 trying to 00:40:22.190 --> 00:40:25.699 get the comments together, recommendations together, 00:40:25.699 --> 00:40:28.380 in the time frame that we had, given the circumstances 00:40:28.380 --> 00:40:33.630 we had, I think the Board had done a outstanding 00:40:33.630 --> 00:40:37.650 job, like you mentioned at the beginning that it started 00:40:37.650 --> 00:40:40.480 out as a monthly meeting and in some cases, with the 00:40:40.480 --> 00:40:45.880 Bagley-Keene stuff, we're meeting on a regular basis to 00:40:45.880 --> 00:40:50.179 try to get some recommendations. You know, as mentioned 00:40:50.179 --> 00:40:53.469 in my bio, before, I'm a general lineman by trade. I'm 00:40:53.469 --> 00:40:56.010 the guy that was used to being out in the field 00:40:56.010 --> 00:41:01.239 and, you know, working on the lines, you know, cutting trees, 00:41:01.239 --> 00:41:03.670 doing all that type of stuff that many of the workers are 00:41:03.679 --> 00:41:07.460 doing. So it doesn't take much to find out which recommendations 00:41:07.460 --> 00:41:10.340 have my fingerprints on them. Those are the types of things 00:41:10.349 --> 00:41:14.739 that I focused on and trying to find ways to, 00:41:15.409 --> 00:41:17.860 you know, you look at what's going on, how do you analyze 00:41:17.860 --> 00:41:20.409 what's going on? How do you make things better? But 00:41:20.409 --> 00:41:23.469 I do need to point out that the Board's been great 00:41:23.469 --> 00:41:26.679 to work with. You know, in the small Bagley-Keene groups 00:41:26.679 --> 00:41:30.230 that I have worked with, you know, there's 6 other professionals 00:41:30.769 --> 00:41:34.429 that are on this Board that have spent their lives 00:41:34.969 --> 00:41:38.969 dealing with issues related to this cause. 00:41:39.500 --> 00:41:43.719 And it's opened my eyes to a lot. Again, mentioned 00:41:43.719 --> 00:41:48.639 I'm the guy that deals with strictly, you know, people 00:41:48.639 --> 00:41:51.719 working in the field, doing that work myself, and looking 00:41:51.719 --> 00:41:54.460 at things from the different lens and understanding 00:41:54.460 --> 00:41:59.500 where other Board Members are coming from in their analysis 00:41:59.500 --> 00:42:02.329 of things is very helpful. So, you know, I just like, 00:42:02.340 --> 00:42:05.690 in closing, I'd like to say that I look forward to 00:42:05.690 --> 00:42:10.269 the, you know, continuing to work with this Board and 00:42:10.420 --> 00:42:15.769 learning, and I encourage everybody else, when they're 00:42:15.769 --> 00:42:18.909 analyzing the recommendations, try to look at 'em from 00:42:19.650 --> 00:42:24.539 all different aspects. 00:42:24.539 --> 00:42:27.349 That should do it. 00:42:27.349 --> 00:42:32.559 Board Member Armstrong, I will just close that with 00:42:32.559 --> 00:42:37.630 a couple comments. The involvement of people who 00:42:37.639 --> 00:42:44.639 have familiarity in the field is is invaluable. And 00:42:44.650 --> 00:42:50.000 so I really appreciate your commentary, your review 00:42:50.000 --> 00:42:53.869 of the suggestions, your feedback, and I just simply 00:42:53.869 --> 00:42:58.250 want to say thank you for that. 00:42:58.250 --> 00:43:02.719 All right, Board Member Jessica Locke. The floor 00:43:02.719 --> 00:43:05.070 is yours. 00:43:05.070 --> 00:43:07.830 Thank you, Chair Edwards. Can you all hear me? 00:43:07.855 --> 00:43:08.774 Yes. 00:43:09.800 --> 00:43:14.900 Great. I am also gonna be a little redundant and 00:43:15.260 --> 00:43:18.219 echo that I wanted to recognize the Wildfire Safety 00:43:18.219 --> 00:43:21.389 division and commend them on all of the outstanding 00:43:22.050 --> 00:43:25.519 prior work in collaboration with Boston Consulting 00:43:25.519 --> 00:43:28.960 Group to develop a framework and guidelines for the mitigation 00:43:28.960 --> 00:43:33.019 plans. That was really an outstanding place for 00:43:33.019 --> 00:43:37.880 us to start and really grateful for that. I also really 00:43:37.880 --> 00:43:42.349 want to acknowledge personally, again, Jamie Ormond and 00:43:42.349 --> 00:43:46.170 and Catherine Stockton in for guiding us through this process 00:43:46.179 --> 00:43:51.110 and ingesting our comments and putting our Board 00:43:51.599 --> 00:43:56.579 together on a cohesive report with Bagley-Keene limitations 00:43:56.579 --> 00:43:58.719 and guidelines that we have to adhere to. So thank 00:43:58.719 --> 00:44:03.110 you all very much for that. With regard to the recommendations, 00:44:03.250 --> 00:44:09.039 I want to make a few comments about some comments 00:44:09.039 --> 00:44:12.989 that I made regarding establishing methods of the scientific 00:44:12.989 --> 00:44:18.179 process, including handling data and sharing technology. 00:44:20.889 --> 00:44:25.349 The concept of making data standardized and open for 00:44:25.349 --> 00:44:28.630 processes like this for regulation and for experimenting 00:44:28.630 --> 00:44:34.260 with technology and growing the use of emerging technology 00:44:34.260 --> 00:44:37.050 is a process that I don't think anyone in the world 00:44:37.059 --> 00:44:41.349 has mastered. So in making, in the time frame that we 00:44:41.349 --> 00:44:46.369 had and making the recommendations that I did in collaboration 00:44:46.369 --> 00:44:49.809 with my Board Members and our Bagley-Keene groups, we 00:44:50.050 --> 00:44:54.099 made somewhat aspirational and high level comments 00:44:54.690 --> 00:44:59.130 in order to make noted what we thought was important. 00:44:59.139 --> 00:45:02.619 We didn't make very specific comments about how each 00:45:02.619 --> 00:45:05.599 of the IOUs was addressing using different ways. 00:45:06.059 --> 00:45:10.789 So I wanted to also comments that I've read thoroughly 00:45:10.789 --> 00:45:14.230 the comments from the IOUs on our recommendations, 00:45:14.590 --> 00:45:18.219 and I think they're very helpful for creating a framework 00:45:18.230 --> 00:45:22.349 for addressing these issues and the challenges that 00:45:22.400 --> 00:45:28.150 that the state has in regulatory and 00:45:28.159 --> 00:45:31.809 the process of moving the needle forward and making 00:45:31.809 --> 00:45:34.389 the state safer. So I look forward to working with 00:45:34.389 --> 00:45:37.960 everybody in that process. I think that there are a 00:45:37.960 --> 00:45:40.510 lot of challenges here and the way forward 00:45:40.510 --> 00:45:44.929 is collaboration and transparency. And I think that 00:45:44.929 --> 00:45:47.256 those are all my comments. 00:45:47.281 --> 00:45:49.940 Thank you. Board Member 00:45:49.940 --> 00:45:55.730 Locke. I really resonate very strongly with your interest. 00:45:57.320 --> 00:46:01.750 Sometimes the existing bureaucracy and procedures, 00:46:01.760 --> 00:46:06.210 etcetera, have the tendency to chill it. I'm thinking 00:46:06.210 --> 00:46:09.400 of, like, the critical infrastructure protection protocol. 00:46:10.480 --> 00:46:13.730 I know the IOUs have market interest, which you know 00:46:13.730 --> 00:46:19.389 the publics don't necessarily have. But I wrestle 00:46:19.389 --> 00:46:23.210 with that as well and we should take our time 00:46:23.210 --> 00:46:26.489 and be very thoughtful moving forward, particularly 00:46:26.489 --> 00:46:32.250 on 2021 and try to find a balance point that we can recommend. 00:46:32.260 --> 00:46:36.000 Because I do think your suggestions are so meritorious, 00:46:36.739 --> 00:46:40.010 I think it's just a matter of figuring out how to make 00:46:40.010 --> 00:46:41.390 it happen. 00:46:41.415 --> 00:46:43.308 Exactly. Yeah. 00:46:43.333 --> 00:46:45.530 Thank you. I agree that 00:46:45.530 --> 00:46:49.420 the, you know, it's about how the sausage is made and 00:46:49.429 --> 00:46:53.699 the challenges of how we eat it. As Board Member Porter pointed 00:46:53.699 --> 00:46:58.489 out. So yeah, you know, I want to just repeat that 00:46:58.500 --> 00:47:02.980 our recommendations in this 2020 plan really didn't 00:47:03.349 --> 00:47:07.039 dive into the complexity of how this all can be done. 00:47:07.280 --> 00:47:11.309 And we're gonna take that all very seriously in 00:47:11.320 --> 00:47:14.929 2021 and beyond. 00:47:14.929 --> 00:47:18.539 Thank you. I very much appreciate that. Board Member 00:47:18.539 --> 00:47:21.960 Alex Seaheart. Am I pronouncing your last name correctly? 00:47:22.960 --> 00:47:25.940 Syphard. 00:47:25.940 --> 00:47:28.507 All right, please. Go ahead. 00:47:28.532 --> 00:47:30.460 Thank you. Thank you. Chair Edwards 00:47:30.469 --> 00:47:35.750 and thank you to the Board Members. As Ralph was 00:47:35.760 --> 00:47:38.820 saying, it's been a really interesting learning experience. 00:47:39.719 --> 00:47:44.530 And so I guess what I want to start off by 00:47:44.539 --> 00:47:47.789 saying is that I'm impressed with the amount of effort 00:47:47.800 --> 00:47:50.909 that has already gone into the wildfire mitigation 00:47:50.909 --> 00:47:54.840 plans. It's clear to me that the utilities are starting 00:47:54.840 --> 00:47:58.820 to take wildfire safety seriously. I think progress 00:47:58.829 --> 00:48:02.590 has been made, particularly through technological developments 00:48:02.619 --> 00:48:06.880 and using data to inform risk assessment and situational 00:48:06.880 --> 00:48:10.739 awareness. And I think that if this kind of work 00:48:10.739 --> 00:48:13.809 continues for the next 10 years or to, the state of 00:48:13.820 --> 00:48:19.070 California could become an example of how utility companies 00:48:19.079 --> 00:48:22.389 aren't seen just as the cause of wildfire problems, 00:48:22.829 --> 00:48:25.550 but I think that there's the potential for them to 00:48:25.550 --> 00:48:29.159 play a leadership role in facilitating wildfire awareness 00:48:29.170 --> 00:48:34.880 and safety in the future. So as many of you know, I'm 00:48:34.880 --> 00:48:38.079 a research scientist. I've spent more than two decades 00:48:38.150 --> 00:48:42.559 studying wildfire science and ecology, vegetation, 00:48:42.559 --> 00:48:46.860 dynamic plant ecology, climate change, and myself, I've 00:48:46.869 --> 00:48:49.769 done a lot of fire modeling and mapping of wildfire 00:48:49.769 --> 00:48:53.929 patterns and trends. And so the recommendations that 00:48:53.929 --> 00:48:57.760 I contributed to, so far, have come from this scientific 00:48:57.769 --> 00:49:01.460 perspective, and I guess what I wanted to say is that 00:49:01.469 --> 00:49:04.389 from a scientific perspective, I think it's important 00:49:04.400 --> 00:49:08.349 to remember that wildfire is very complex. It results 00:49:08.360 --> 00:49:11.510 from a large number of both human and environmental 00:49:11.510 --> 00:49:15.659 influences and these different drivers of wildfire 00:49:15.670 --> 00:49:18.989 and their relative effects on fire behavior and fire 00:49:18.989 --> 00:49:23.090 safety vary dramatically across the diverse regions 00:49:23.090 --> 00:49:27.369 of California. So in terms of management and mitigation 00:49:27.369 --> 00:49:30.920 efforts, one size often doesn't fit all, and what often works 00:49:30.920 --> 00:49:33.389 in some regions doesn't work in others or could 00:49:33.389 --> 00:49:38.409 even have an opposite effect. And so that's why I continue 00:49:38.409 --> 00:49:41.489 to iterate why science has to be an integral part 00:49:41.500 --> 00:49:45.710 of the mitigation process, and even in the wildfire 00:49:45.710 --> 00:49:48.130 science community, there's a lot of uncertainty and 00:49:48.130 --> 00:49:50.900 even debate about when and where fires are most likely 00:49:50.909 --> 00:49:54.389 to a occur, when and where they do the most damage, or 00:49:54.389 --> 00:49:58.079 even when they do the most good in an ecological sense. There 00:49:58.079 --> 00:50:01.269 are dozens of types of fire models used for dozens 00:50:01.269 --> 00:50:05.179 of objectives, and are there dozens more being developed 00:50:05.179 --> 00:50:08.389 right now. And so the good news is that we're learning 00:50:08.400 --> 00:50:12.059 a lot in recent years about wildfire, particularly 00:50:12.059 --> 00:50:15.590 in California. But the word of caution I also 00:50:15.599 --> 00:50:19.360 have is that there's a lot more to learn, and this 00:50:19.369 --> 00:50:22.250 should be reflected in our model assumptions and in 00:50:22.250 --> 00:50:24.320 the data. 00:50:24.320 --> 00:50:28.070 To quote what a lot of us modelers often say is 00:50:28.519 --> 00:50:31.719 "all models are wrong, but some are more wrong than others." 00:50:33.289 --> 00:50:35.989 And so I think that models need to continually be vetted. 00:50:36.860 --> 00:50:41.480 So instead of reiterating three details of the recommendations, 00:50:41.639 --> 00:50:45.429 I, my name main message here is to just sort of reinforce the 00:50:45.429 --> 00:50:50.800 overarching belief that the plan should include 00:50:51.059 --> 00:50:55.320 scientific oversight and peer review and transparency, 00:50:55.659 --> 00:50:59.239 and that room is allowed to adjust as new scientific 00:50:59.250 --> 00:51:03.510 developments unfold. And, as Jessica and others have said, 00:51:03.800 --> 00:51:07.480 how this is implemented is something that still needs 00:51:07.489 --> 00:51:11.980 to really be discussed and negotiated. Obviously, 00:51:12.250 --> 00:51:15.219 it needs to be feasible and it needs to be reasonable. 00:51:15.760 --> 00:51:18.889 But I think also trying to oversight is the most effective 00:51:18.900 --> 00:51:23.030 way to ensure that actions performed are actually doing 00:51:23.030 --> 00:51:25.920 what they're intended to do in the most efficient way 00:51:25.920 --> 00:51:30.880 possible. So one idea might be a team of science advisors, 00:51:31.659 --> 00:51:34.659 but it doesn't make sense to invest in something that 00:51:34.670 --> 00:51:38.280 ultimately does not work or even could have the 00:51:38.280 --> 00:51:42.369 opposite of the effect that was intended. A lot of 00:51:42.380 --> 00:51:45.309 times we call this the Law of Unintended Consequences, 00:51:45.320 --> 00:51:49.949 and some of the things I pointed out have to do 00:51:49.949 --> 00:51:54.500 with just providing the peer review and input to avoid 00:51:54.510 --> 00:51:59.050 some of these. For example, reducing fuel volume 00:51:59.050 --> 00:52:02.989 which reduces fire intensity, but the unintended consequence 00:52:03.000 --> 00:52:07.309 of increasing perhaps fuel flammability through refined 00:52:07.320 --> 00:52:13.320 fuel. So, in summary, my plan were basically peer reviewing 00:52:13.320 --> 00:52:16.760 of modelling approaches, vegetation management plans, 00:52:17.210 --> 00:52:20.909 ensuring data quality and interpretation analysis 00:52:20.920 --> 00:52:25.530 and prioritization, and that information data are validated 00:52:25.610 --> 00:52:30.840 and updated on a regular basis, and that not 00:52:30.849 --> 00:52:33.630 every single piece of information needs to be revealed, but 00:52:33.639 --> 00:52:36.500 that the models and data are transparent enough to 00:52:36.500 --> 00:52:40.239 allow sufficient verification so that at least an 00:52:40.239 --> 00:52:43.300 oversight is provided that they're being used appropriately. 00:52:43.949 --> 00:52:46.920 And, of course, I think collaboration across all the 00:52:46.920 --> 00:52:51.110 utilities and within the scientific community could 00:52:51.110 --> 00:52:54.130 be really beneficial. And I think that, in a broad way, 00:52:54.130 --> 00:52:59.130 this could set the stage for success in the future. So 00:52:59.199 --> 00:53:02.030 that's my comment. 00:53:02.030 --> 00:53:06.079 Thank you, Board Member. Looking at the faces 00:53:06.090 --> 00:53:09.420 of the balance of the team as they nod when you are 00:53:10.050 --> 00:53:13.559 when you were talking is very critical, and I think 00:53:14.420 --> 00:53:19.079 your interpretation can, in fact, I think we can make 00:53:19.079 --> 00:53:22.090 it happen. It may need NDAs. Remember, we're talking 00:53:22.090 --> 00:53:25.050 about profit potential agencies against public, 00:53:25.059 --> 00:53:28.699 I mean, there's a lot of different players, but I think 00:53:28.710 --> 00:53:34.349 there should be a space, within the scientific sector, 00:53:34.599 --> 00:53:39.710 that all of this gets integrated and analyze. I very 00:53:39.710 --> 00:53:44.500 much appreciate, appreciate that feedback. I think 00:53:44.500 --> 00:53:52.670 that's useful. I am the close, and I don't, well, let 00:53:52.670 --> 00:53:57.550 me rephrase it. In the 90s, I testified before 00:53:57.550 --> 00:54:02.880 FERC, and I said, I am not a lawyer, an engineer, a marketer. 00:54:02.889 --> 00:54:07.530 I am simply a system operator, and I will tell you what 00:54:07.539 --> 00:54:11.239 some of your policies under consideration, I will 00:54:11.239 --> 00:54:15.300 tell you what the impacts are. And I dont smacked around 00:54:15.300 --> 00:54:20.639 quite a bit for that. But nonetheless, my 00:54:20.650 --> 00:54:24.510 point is that we are the vanguard. We are independent 00:54:24.519 --> 00:54:30.110 source of thoughts and recommendations to not only 00:54:30.110 --> 00:54:33.780 the Wildfire Safety Division, but also the investor owned 00:54:33.780 --> 00:54:38.460 and also the publicly owned utilities. And I very 00:54:38.460 --> 00:54:42.090 much appreciate the creative independence that each of 00:54:42.090 --> 00:54:46.579 you brings to the table. I mean it is 00:54:46.590 --> 00:54:49.489 amazing to me. 00:54:49.489 --> 00:54:58.030 Okay, so did anyone have any reaction or expanded 00:54:58.030 --> 00:55:03.030 commentary to the COVID-19 aspects we added for the 00:55:03.030 --> 00:55:05.960 recommendation? Anyone have any problems with that? 00:55:05.989 --> 00:55:09.690 I did not play. If you did, then we need to talk 00:55:09.690 --> 00:55:12.480 about it. 00:55:12.480 --> 00:55:15.630 No? Okay? 00:55:15.630 --> 00:55:20.280 Jamie, do I need to do the entire floor-based public comment 00:55:20.420 --> 00:55:23.230 things right here? It says public comment in my notes, 00:55:23.320 --> 00:55:25.289 but I want to make sure I'm doing what I'm supposed to 00:55:25.289 --> 00:55:30.500 do. 00:55:30.500 --> 00:55:35.630 I'm looking 00:55:35.630 --> 00:55:39.530 Under slide 14, it's got public comments. Do I need 00:55:39.530 --> 00:55:47.489 to solicit input from all of the investors or...? 00:55:47.489 --> 00:55:50.820 I don't believe so because you asked for public comment 00:55:50.829 --> 00:55:55.449 before the Board began speaking. The public has had 00:55:55.449 --> 00:55:59.269 an opportunity to provide public comment on this item. 00:56:00.130 --> 00:56:06.130 All right. Thank you. I appreciate that. 00:56:06.130 --> 00:56:09.320 Okay. We have talked a lot about these recommendations 00:56:09.329 --> 00:56:14.050 We have talked a significant amount about they're intended, 00:56:14.659 --> 00:56:20.079 in part, to inform both the investor-owned and the public utilities. 00:56:20.139 --> 00:56:24.849 They already tended to be indicative of 2021, albeit, 00:56:24.849 --> 00:56:29.889 we will obviously comment on 2021. We have a lot 00:56:29.889 --> 00:56:33.150 of expanded thoughts. We were in a very compressed time frame 00:56:33.920 --> 00:56:38.610 for 2020. And again, I appreciate the work on the Board's behalf 00:56:38.619 --> 00:56:44.400 to fit into from a very small time frame. I 00:56:44.409 --> 00:56:51.769 would entertain a vote at present on the current recommendation. 00:56:54.610 --> 00:56:57.647 I'll moved the current recommendations. 00:56:57.672 --> 00:56:58.683 Thank you, Vice Chair. 00:56:59.429 --> 00:57:00.786 Do I have a second? 00:57:00.811 --> 00:57:02.170 I will. 00:57:02.170 --> 00:57:06.989 With the addition as posted. 00:57:06.989 --> 00:57:12.429 I didn't see the second. Could you tell me again. 00:57:12.429 --> 00:57:16.170 I thought I heard a second. Well, Board Member Porter 00:57:16.170 --> 00:57:19.142 is brave. Thank you very much. 00:57:19.167 --> 00:57:21.420 Member Porter seconds 00:57:21.429 --> 00:57:23.880 the recommendation. 00:57:23.880 --> 00:57:25.239 The motion, I mean. 00:57:25.264 --> 00:57:28.030 I appreciate that. All those in favor? 00:57:28.030 --> 00:57:30.769 I'm sorry. Legal now tells me I need 00:57:30.769 --> 00:57:37.389 a roll call. Excuse me. Board Member 00:57:37.389 --> 00:57:40.230 Syphard? Did I screw it up again? 00:57:40.255 --> 00:57:41.721 No, you got it. Aye. 00:57:41.746 --> 00:57:42.210 Yay or nay? 00:57:46.329 --> 00:57:54.420 I have to do a roll call, Alex, so give me a yay or nay. 00:57:54.420 --> 00:57:57.400 I'll come back. We're probably having communication difficulties. 00:57:57.409 --> 00:58:00.789 Board Member Porter, yay or nay? 00:58:00.789 --> 00:58:02.267 Yay. 00:58:02.292 --> 00:58:03.429 Thank you. 00:58:03.454 --> 00:58:06.735 Board Member Block? 00:58:06.760 --> 00:58:07.829 Yay. 00:58:07.829 --> 00:58:10.567 Board Member Mader? 00:58:10.592 --> 00:58:11.480 Yay. 00:58:11.480 --> 00:58:13.691 Board Member Armstrong? 00:58:13.716 --> 00:58:14.428 Yay. 00:58:14.452 --> 00:58:17.083 Vice Chair Fellman moved 00:58:17.159 --> 00:58:21.075 originally. Board Member Alexandra. Yay or Nay? 00:58:21.100 --> 00:58:22.380 Yay. 00:58:22.389 --> 00:58:24.962 and sorry for the mix up. 00:58:24.987 --> 00:58:25.820 No, 00:58:25.829 --> 00:58:29.829 believe me. I believe we're doing stellar. 00:58:29.940 --> 00:58:35.030 Given the potential for, I mean Oh, no, we're knocking it out. All 00:58:35.030 --> 00:58:38.940 right, all right. I believe I have a uniform majority 00:58:38.940 --> 00:58:45.329 on that. And with that, even though Jamie, with your 00:58:45.570 --> 00:58:49.079 approval, people maybe need a bit of a stretch break. 00:58:49.230 --> 00:58:52.880 even though we're a little ahead of schedule. 00:58:52.880 --> 00:58:58.639 Okay. 10 minutes, 10 minutes. Leave. Reconnect. 00:58:59.119 --> 00:59:02.250 Get back here within 10 minutes and we'll continue 00:59:02.250 --> 00:59:05.809 the business of the Board. 00:59:05.809 --> 00:59:10.090 Okay, so it is 2:01. We are now on a 00:59:10.099 --> 00:59:14.650 10 minute stretch break. I recommend that everybody 00:59:14.750 --> 00:59:19.469 who is at their computer right now stand up, allow 00:59:19.469 --> 00:59:26.150 the blood flow through the body and stretch. We do 00:59:26.150 --> 00:59:30.199 this at the Commission in all of our meeting. The stretch 00:59:30.210 --> 00:59:35.769 break is a very important part. When you sit down the 00:59:35.769 --> 00:59:38.750 blood pools, we want to get it back flowing through 00:59:38.750 --> 00:59:39.727 the body. 00:59:39.752 --> 00:59:42.659 If you're going to the bathroom with ear 00:59:42.659 --> 00:59:47.260 buds, 00:59:47.260 --> 00:59:49.199 mute your phone. 00:59:49.224 --> 00:59:54.313 We will reconvene here and begin promptly 00:59:54.590 --> 01:00:00.170 at 2:11. So continue stretching. Grab your water. We 01:00:00.170 --> 01:00:01.130 will be right back. 01:09:15.379 --> 01:09:19.840 Recommence our meeting. We are going to do so 01:09:19.840 --> 01:09:24.650 with a presentation by the publicly owned utilities. In the interest 01:09:24.650 --> 01:09:28.590 of full disclosure you need to know that I am, 01:09:28.590 --> 01:09:34.470 in fact, for 40 years, a representative of the municipal community. 01:09:35.139 --> 01:09:38.509 The (unclear) I have always had a foot 01:09:39.030 --> 01:09:43.420 in the investor-owned because I do understand 01:09:43.420 --> 01:09:46.780 their interests and their focus, and it's important 01:09:46.780 --> 01:09:51.239 that we all coexist. So prior to opening the phone 01:09:51.239 --> 01:09:56.550 line for the municipal presentation, I have a couple 01:09:56.550 --> 01:10:00.110 of clarifying comments, and my choice was to make them 01:10:00.110 --> 01:10:04.139 myself rather than them be the basis of the presentation 01:10:04.150 --> 01:10:07.759 because I wanted the Munies to move past 01:10:07.759 --> 01:10:11.179 anything that looks like a defensive strategy and 01:10:11.189 --> 01:10:14.989 embrace their lessons learned, and they're a new technology 01:10:14.989 --> 01:10:19.389 and things that we really need to talk about. So that 01:10:19.389 --> 01:10:24.449 having been said, a few clarifying coming before the 01:10:25.090 --> 01:10:28.530 publicly owned utility presentation starts. 01:10:28.530 --> 01:10:32.189 First, I'm sure most people are aware they are not jurisdictional 01:10:32.360 --> 01:10:35.850 to the CPUC but to their own local political government. 01:10:36.650 --> 01:10:40.410 They serve communities, policy makers, and are a public service 01:10:40.420 --> 01:10:44.420 to their ratepayers. Because they have no stock holders, and it's 01:10:44.429 --> 01:10:48.079 something to bear in mind. And as such cost containment, 01:10:48.249 --> 01:10:52.780 wildfire risk mitigation remaining has 01:10:52.790 --> 01:10:55.600 critical imperative to POUs. 01:10:55.600 --> 01:11:00.100 However, this devestation provided the direction for this 01:11:00.110 --> 01:11:03.420 Board to give advisory input and technical expertise 01:11:03.429 --> 01:11:07.739 to publicly owned utilities with the objective of reducing 01:11:07.749 --> 01:11:13.660 wildfire related, recent related, issues associated 01:11:13.660 --> 01:11:19.020 with a (unclear), and in my experience here recently, the 01:11:19.020 --> 01:11:23.600 public owned utilities have stepped up to actively participate, 01:11:23.809 --> 01:11:28.389 learn, as well as shared her experience to date. One last 01:11:28.389 --> 01:11:31.460 observation, and excuse me if these numbers are not exact, 01:11:31.470 --> 01:11:35.639 but I think it's important to 01:11:35.639 --> 01:11:40.619 help maintain context. Think of the following in terms of wildfire exposure. 01:11:40.739 --> 01:11:46.590 PG&E has a service territory of over 70,000 square 01:11:46.590 --> 01:11:52.879 miles. Edison, over 50,000 square miles. The largest 01:11:52.999 --> 01:11:55.650 publicly owned utility in California has a service 01:11:55.660 --> 01:12:00.610 territory of 465 square miles, with some additional 01:12:00.610 --> 01:12:05.280 up in the (unclear). And many of the smaller agency can be measured 01:12:05.280 --> 01:12:09.910 under 50 square miles, some under 10. My point is this: 01:12:10.509 --> 01:12:14.540 difference in distribution systems, 01:12:14.540 --> 01:12:18.199 topography, fire explosion, community connection oversight. 01:12:19.340 --> 01:12:22.689 We should never err on the fact of a one size fits 01:12:22.699 --> 01:12:28.249 all solution, a fact that was echoed by some of the Board Members 01:12:28.290 --> 01:12:33.509 earlier. In fact, topography really is a primary differentiator. 01:12:33.509 --> 01:12:36.480 We have some agencies in the municipal community 01:12:36.480 --> 01:12:41.660 that serve all Commercial and Industrial 01:12:41.660 --> 01:12:45.059 loads with no risk of wildfire. Some have no forested areas 01:12:45.059 --> 01:12:49.329 at all. I very much appreciate members of the public 01:12:49.329 --> 01:12:53.250 owned community being available to present today, ultimately 01:12:53.500 --> 01:12:57.750 considering and implement the advice of the Board as to what 01:12:58.189 --> 01:13:00.880 might further the integrated into their operations 01:13:00.880 --> 01:13:05.280 and planning, and as always, I deply appreciate the thoughtful advice 01:13:05.290 --> 01:13:09.390 being developed by this Board in the best interests, really, 01:13:09.410 --> 01:13:12.929 of the state overall. With that, if I could ask the 01:13:12.929 --> 01:13:17.290 operator to make sure that Ryan Wilbur and Scott Tomchevsky 01:13:17.300 --> 01:13:22.040 are unmuted, and if I could bring their presentation 01:13:22.050 --> 01:13:24.800 up on the screen. 01:13:24.800 --> 01:13:28.740 Jamie, can you get that. 01:13:28.740 --> 01:13:37.640 Okay. 01:13:37.640 --> 01:13:40.790 All right. We're still like frozen in place. 01:13:40.790 --> 01:13:43.740 Here we go. We have the presentation. Operator, have 01:13:43.740 --> 01:13:49.260 you a unmuted them? 01:13:49.260 --> 01:13:52.220 Scott, Ryan, do you hear me? 01:13:52.245 --> 01:13:54.316 We can. Can you hear us? 01:13:54.341 --> 01:13:55.179 Yes, take 01:13:55.179 --> 01:13:56.134 it. 01:13:56.159 --> 01:13:59.000 Great. Thank you. Thank you, Chair Edwards, Vice Chair Fellman, 01:13:59.000 --> 01:14:03.729 and the rest of the Board. We are pleased to 01:14:03.729 --> 01:14:07.329 be able to have this important conversation with you 01:14:07.329 --> 01:14:12.780 and give you some perspectives on what we do in the 01:14:12.780 --> 01:14:16.809 POU community, and let me start off by offering 01:14:16.809 --> 01:14:20.709 a word of thanks to my POU colleagues at the CMUA, 01:14:20.709 --> 01:14:24.040 California's Municipal Utility Association. Southern California 01:14:24.040 --> 01:14:29.300 Public Power Authority. LEDWP, SMUD, and as well as 01:14:29.390 --> 01:14:32.949 my colleagues at NCPA and our 16 member organizations. 01:14:33.740 --> 01:14:36.829 For this presentation and the work that we are collectively 01:14:36.829 --> 01:14:40.569 doing. Hopefully, in the next 15, 20 minutes, you'll 01:14:40.569 --> 01:14:43.050 get a feel for some of the things that we are doing 01:14:43.540 --> 01:14:48.300 across the POUcommunity. And, as Marcy had indicated, 01:14:48.880 --> 01:14:53.349 there is a wide divergence of where we are, large size, 01:14:53.839 --> 01:14:56.760 and so we will not be able to touch on everything. 01:14:56.760 --> 01:15:00.270 Of course, obviously, for all 40 POUs. But we will 01:15:00.270 --> 01:15:04.400 provide you a sample here. So with that said, I think 01:15:04.400 --> 01:15:07.589 if there's one take away here as you look at our plans 01:15:07.589 --> 01:15:11.240 and develop recommendations, I trust you'll conclude 01:15:11.240 --> 01:15:14.650 that our plans are robust and they take full advantage 01:15:14.650 --> 01:15:17.449 of our ability to closely coordinate our efforts with 01:15:18.040 --> 01:15:20.170 our local authorities, and our governing boards. That's 01:15:20.170 --> 01:15:25.240 just a fundamental objective that we undertake 01:15:25.240 --> 01:15:27.819 when we look at these things, and that's really the 01:15:28.270 --> 01:15:31.990 seed of our success. So if you could go to the first 01:15:31.990 --> 01:15:43.890 slide on that. 01:15:43.890 --> 01:15:44.946 Do you see it? 01:15:44.971 --> 01:15:48.040 Not yet, I still see the title slides. If you can go 01:15:48.040 --> 01:15:49.327 to slide 2. 01:15:49.352 --> 01:15:53.189 We are on introductions and presentation 01:15:53.199 --> 01:15:54.559 overview. 01:15:54.584 --> 01:15:58.640 Okay, so I'm gonna, unless I don't see 01:15:58.640 --> 01:16:01.309 it, I'll assume it's on slide 2, so I can talk through 01:16:01.309 --> 01:16:06.140 that. You'll see both Bryan and I are gonna get a present. 01:16:06.740 --> 01:16:09.839 The objectives here really are just sort of providing 01:16:09.839 --> 01:16:13.120 a broad brush on our wildfire mitigation plans. And, of 01:16:13.120 --> 01:16:16.010 course, the relationship between what we provide with 01:16:16.010 --> 01:16:20.209 our local communities. We'll also touch on some general 01:16:20.209 --> 01:16:23.150 observations and focus on some of the technical considerations. 01:16:23.160 --> 01:16:25.719 That's sort of the bulk of slide 2. So if you go 01:16:25.719 --> 01:16:28.439 to slidethree, 01:16:28.439 --> 01:16:32.490 you should see what's shown as POU overview. 01:16:35.640 --> 01:16:37.979 Hi, Scott. 01:16:37.979 --> 01:16:40.010 This is Catherine. I just want to jump in real quick. 01:16:40.020 --> 01:16:44.189 There's about a 30 seconds or more delay from what 01:16:44.199 --> 01:16:48.530 is able to be seen on the WebEX. So you 01:16:48.530 --> 01:16:52.500 could either wait or you could just continue forward. 01:16:53.920 --> 01:16:56.740 Okay. Okay. 01:16:56.740 --> 01:16:59.109 So we are, let me just wait until we get to slide 2. 01:16:59.109 --> 01:17:10.380 This way, everyone can follow along as well. 01:17:10.380 --> 01:17:15.170 And was the numbering will be starting at, 01:17:15.179 --> 01:17:21.599 you can see here. The intro is 17. Slide 18. That 01:17:21.599 --> 01:17:25.140 we would like to posted up there for our 01:17:25.150 --> 01:17:27.145 wonderful IT folks. 01:17:27.170 --> 01:17:30.819 Thank you. So with slide 18 cause now it's 01:17:30.829 --> 01:17:33.849 come up. And this just provides you, sort of, 01:17:34.439 --> 01:17:36.949 the general framework for what we're looking at in 01:17:36.949 --> 01:17:39.469 terms of the POU community. For those of you that aren't 01:17:39.800 --> 01:17:43.620 too familiar with the municipal model. When you start 01:17:43.620 --> 01:17:47.219 to look at where we are located throughout California, 01:17:47.540 --> 01:17:50.209 we're all over the map on, and you'll see that here 01:17:50.209 --> 01:17:54.370 with this particular map. When you take into consideration 01:17:54.380 --> 01:17:58.130 the fire map, that heat map that we are all familiar 01:17:58.130 --> 01:18:00.589 with, you'll see that we're located everywhere. 01:18:00.589 --> 01:18:03.859 When it comes down to it. We are located in Tier 3. 01:18:03.859 --> 01:18:06.650 We're located in Tier 2. We're located in Tier 1. 01:18:06.650 --> 01:18:10.490 Each of those utilities that are in different 01:18:10.490 --> 01:18:13.099 areas have different considerations. So when you look 01:18:13.099 --> 01:18:16.120 at the fact that we cover about 25% of state's load 01:18:16.679 --> 01:18:19.500 with LA and SMUD, basically, accounting for approximately 01:18:19.510 --> 01:18:23.559 half of that load. There's a lot of activity that's 01:18:23.559 --> 01:18:28.069 going on. Most of these systems are relatively 01:18:28.069 --> 01:18:32.229 small. Marcy's made reference to the size. Our smallest 01:18:32.240 --> 01:18:35.510 member is one square mile. So if you start looking 01:18:35.510 --> 01:18:39.189 at it one square mile utility as opposed to a 70,000 01:18:39.189 --> 01:18:41.910 square mile utility, there's probably different considerations 01:18:41.910 --> 01:18:46.329 you would have. We also have different climate zones 01:18:46.329 --> 01:18:48.949 that we're all in. There are members that are along 01:18:48.959 --> 01:18:52.040 the coastal range, in the middle of the Central Valley, 01:18:52.439 --> 01:18:56.740 in the High Sierra. Each of their governing boards, 01:18:56.750 --> 01:19:00.420 whether they are a local municipality, a rural co-op, 01:19:00.429 --> 01:19:04.069 or a district have a local governance structure where 01:19:04.069 --> 01:19:07.979 these wildfire mitigation plans are reviewed and approved, 01:19:08.510 --> 01:19:12.290 and we also have a process for how these are being 01:19:12.290 --> 01:19:15.040 assessed by independent evaluators. Of course, that 01:19:15.040 --> 01:19:19.290 process is going on in terms of the PUC. We've taken 01:19:19.290 --> 01:19:23.429 steps to have evaluators available to review our plans 01:19:23.429 --> 01:19:27.849 that we provided and that we will be providing to you. 01:19:28.540 --> 01:19:31.370 The other thing that's important to note, and 01:19:31.380 --> 01:19:33.229 you could turn the slide right now, so I can finish 01:19:33.240 --> 01:19:34.969 my point, and then we'll get to the next slide as 01:19:34.969 --> 01:19:39.609 I finish my point on on Slide 18. But many of our 01:19:39.609 --> 01:19:42.819 utilities are transmission dependent utilities of 01:19:42.819 --> 01:19:46.130 the state's IOUs. And so, to the extent that there 01:19:46.130 --> 01:19:50.309 are power shut off issues, there are upstream considerations 01:19:50.319 --> 01:19:52.849 that have a direct impact on some of the things that 01:19:53.370 --> 01:19:56.020 our local utilities do at home. And they have 01:19:56.020 --> 01:19:59.250 to take those things into consideration while they're 01:19:59.250 --> 01:20:02.660 addressing the actions that they need to undertake. 01:20:02.949 --> 01:20:05.939 Case in point, as the slide gets ready to turn to the 01:20:05.939 --> 01:20:08.929 next one, during the Kincaid Fire, one of our members, 01:20:08.939 --> 01:20:12.370 Fieldsburg, was dealing with power outages, evacuations, 01:20:12.740 --> 01:20:16.530 and power shut outs, and the coordination of the effort 01:20:16.530 --> 01:20:19.809 to deal with evacuating a community, working with shutoffs 01:20:19.809 --> 01:20:23.900 to giving local police and fire the ability 01:20:23.900 --> 01:20:28.109 to get communities safely evacuated as a fire was 01:20:28.120 --> 01:20:32.929 moving was extremely important. And that is often 01:20:32.949 --> 01:20:36.240 impacted by the upstream activities that happened with 01:20:36.240 --> 01:20:39.059 public safety shutoffs. Very important to understand 01:20:39.059 --> 01:20:44.809 that consideration. With slide 19, 01:20:44.819 --> 01:20:47.929 just to give you a recap on our obligations. They're 01:20:47.929 --> 01:20:52.099 slightly different than the IOUs, but 01:20:52.099 --> 01:20:55.219 the basic objective is still the same. We were required 01:20:55.219 --> 01:20:58.339 to have mitigation plans approved and or adopted by 01:20:58.339 --> 01:21:04.170 January 1st. We are required to submit those to the 01:21:04.179 --> 01:21:07.859 Safety Advisory Board by July, about a dozen of them 01:21:07.859 --> 01:21:11.770 have submitted them already. We are required to 01:21:11.780 --> 01:21:14.319 completely update those every three years, but we are 01:21:14.329 --> 01:21:18.030 also required to do annual reviews of those. So it 01:21:18.030 --> 01:21:21.889 doesn't necessarily give us a pass on the importance 01:21:21.889 --> 01:21:25.550 of looking at these mitigation plans. But it allows 01:21:25.550 --> 01:21:28.020 us to take a look at it and comprehensively update it. 01:21:28.589 --> 01:21:30.639 And again, if you go to the next slide as I'm finishing 01:21:30.639 --> 01:21:33.309 the points on it, that would be great. The plans itself 01:21:33.319 --> 01:21:37.220 happen be evaluated independently, which is 01:21:37.220 --> 01:21:42.919 extremely important. 01:21:42.919 --> 01:21:45.490 I will note, as the slide gets ready to change, that 01:21:45.500 --> 01:21:48.309 the mitigation, planning and practices are not new 01:21:49.280 --> 01:21:54.059 to public utilities. We have taken those types of activities, 01:21:54.069 --> 01:21:57.690 in conjunction with looking at safety within our local 01:21:57.690 --> 01:22:01.419 communities, wildfires being one of them. So the efforts 01:22:01.419 --> 01:22:04.760 of dealing with things like vegetation management and 01:22:05.149 --> 01:22:07.849 all the things that we're doing, now, to aggressively 01:22:07.849 --> 01:22:11.730 pursue wildfire prevention have been addressed, and they 01:22:11.730 --> 01:22:14.040 are being addressed, and they continue to be coordinated, 01:22:14.040 --> 01:22:17.520 and we continue to talk to our local police and fire 01:22:17.520 --> 01:22:21.109 and CalFire and others and neighboring utilities and 01:22:21.109 --> 01:22:24.960 our neighbouring IOUs as well. So I want to 01:22:24.960 --> 01:22:28.190 make it clear that there is really, as much as there 01:22:28.190 --> 01:22:33.270 may be a concern that there isn't conversation happening 01:22:33.270 --> 01:22:36.099 amongst utilities across the state, when it comes to 01:22:36.099 --> 01:22:38.510 us, there is an awful lot of conversation and it 01:22:38.510 --> 01:22:43.470 is not tied to jurisdictional 01:22:43.470 --> 01:22:49.639 definitions. We talk in many different areas. 01:22:49.639 --> 01:22:53.020 In terms of general observations from our plans, 01:22:53.030 --> 01:22:55.159 and then, after this alternate over to Bryan, to talk 01:22:55.159 --> 01:22:59.510 about some of the technical considerations. What's 01:22:59.520 --> 01:23:03.169 really important to keep in mind here is that, as much 01:23:03.169 --> 01:23:05.849 as we might be different in terms of how we approach 01:23:06.359 --> 01:23:09.680 the optimal solution for dealing with wildfire 01:23:09.680 --> 01:23:13.329 prevention and mitigation, we have a common goal, and 01:23:13.329 --> 01:23:16.510 it's really reducing wildfire risk. That is paramount 01:23:16.510 --> 01:23:20.930 to everything that we do in this year. And 01:23:21.139 --> 01:23:23.020 if you want to look at it from a technical standpoint, 01:23:23.020 --> 01:23:25.550 it's sort of like linear programming where you sort 01:23:25.550 --> 01:23:28.399 of have your objective and you have the optimal 01:23:28.399 --> 01:23:30.659 solution that you're trying to deal with given the 01:23:30.659 --> 01:23:33.349 various constraints we might have in our situations 01:23:33.349 --> 01:23:37.109 here, whether it's geography, system design, community 01:23:37.109 --> 01:23:40.210 situations, those things are all taken into consideration 01:23:40.210 --> 01:23:43.520 as we approach the best possible solution. So, as an 01:23:43.520 --> 01:23:46.460 example, if your if you're basically in the Bay Area 01:23:46.460 --> 01:23:49.430 and you're running a port, you're not necessarily 01:23:49.430 --> 01:23:51.809 gonna have those same Tier 3 issues that you 01:23:51.809 --> 01:23:54.450 might have if you're in the High Sierras and dealing 01:23:54.450 --> 01:23:58.079 with things. So to have both of those utilities deal 01:23:58.079 --> 01:24:00.690 with the situation the same way would really 01:24:00.690 --> 01:24:04.010 not be the most practical and prudent way to address 01:24:04.020 --> 01:24:06.950 that. It really becomes the opportunity to try to find 01:24:06.950 --> 01:24:10.579 the best solution for them. We do a deploy a wide range 01:24:10.579 --> 01:24:13.700 of approaches. We have done some things traditionally. 01:24:13.700 --> 01:24:16.480 We've talked about vegetation management. We maintain 01:24:16.480 --> 01:24:19.419 our systems. We shut off the power when we have to. 01:24:19.730 --> 01:24:22.079 And there's something that are really emerging in terms 01:24:22.079 --> 01:24:24.730 of the technologies that we're talking about. The advanced 01:24:24.730 --> 01:24:28.450 technologies, the camera, the, you know, all the stuff 01:24:28.460 --> 01:24:31.619 we're dealing with, and also the emergence of strategy, 01:24:32.339 --> 01:24:35.609 which is very different now than it was even four years 01:24:35.609 --> 01:24:39.069 ago, when we started to go through these severe wildfire 01:24:39.069 --> 01:24:42.730 season. We've learned a lot since 2015, and now, we're 01:24:42.730 --> 01:24:45.849 aggressively all pursuing these strategies and trying 01:24:45.849 --> 01:24:49.700 to find those best practices. So key to fully understanding 01:24:49.700 --> 01:24:52.430 what the POU story is here is that there's no one solution. 01:24:53.010 --> 01:24:56.180 And if anyone thinks there is, then that's probably 01:24:56.180 --> 01:24:58.369 something that needs to be corrected just in terms 01:24:58.369 --> 01:25:01.290 of thought processes. The commitment and the intent 01:25:02.129 --> 01:25:05.079 to deal with the issue is the thing that's common towards 01:25:05.079 --> 01:25:07.339 all of us. And there's a distinction between those. 01:25:08.240 --> 01:25:10.440 So with that, I'll turn it over to Bryan, and 01:25:10.450 --> 01:25:16.200 you can take over for the next few slides. 01:25:16.200 --> 01:25:22.819 Hey, Bryan. 01:25:22.819 --> 01:25:26.159 I'm going really have to talk to these people. Come 01:25:26.159 --> 01:25:30.919 on. Where are you, 01:25:30.919 --> 01:25:35.839 Bryan? 01:25:35.839 --> 01:25:41.490 Are you muted? Are you think about it? 01:25:41.490 --> 01:25:48.440 Jamie, see if you could find him. 01:25:48.440 --> 01:25:55.839 Operator has Bryan called in? 01:25:55.839 --> 01:25:58.569 Do not see him, but in case you are on the line, 01:25:58.579 --> 01:26:02.220 Bryan, and accidentally dialed in with the participant 01:26:02.230 --> 01:26:12.639 passcode, please dial star-zero. 01:26:12.639 --> 01:26:16.349 I thought you tested this out with Bryan earlier today? 01:26:18.349 --> 01:26:22.919 Yeah, we shared the call-in numbers. So we have all 01:26:22.919 --> 01:26:25.859 of that information and we had a conversation a little while 01:26:25.859 --> 01:26:27.940 ago about that. 01:26:27.940 --> 01:26:32.940 All right, let's see what happens. 01:26:32.940 --> 01:26:35.730 Give him a couple of minutes. If I have to, I guess 01:26:35.730 --> 01:26:38.270 I could, I have his talking points, so I could at least 01:26:38.589 --> 01:26:40.780 fill in some of those gaps, though I wouldn't necessarily 01:26:40.780 --> 01:26:43.619 do nearly as well justice as he would. 01:26:44.740 --> 01:26:49.819 You know, I get that. But we may have to start without 01:26:49.829 --> 01:26:54.839 him if he can't connect. 01:26:54.839 --> 01:26:57.339 Okay. 01:26:57.339 --> 01:27:03.970 Can you all hear me now? Hello? Hello? 01:27:03.970 --> 01:27:06.320 Can you hear me now? 01:27:06.345 --> 01:27:09.609 That a boy. Good job. 01:27:09.609 --> 01:27:16.020 We back on. Yes. Okay. All right. Let me, just 01:27:16.030 --> 01:27:18.740 reiterating what Scott has said, although we are very 01:27:18.740 --> 01:27:21.069 different from the IOUs, the POUs have many 01:27:21.079 --> 01:27:23.750 similarities. But we're also very different in between 01:27:23.750 --> 01:27:26.659 each other. In regards to our service territory, our personnel, 01:27:26.659 --> 01:27:29.740 terrain, and our transmission and distribution assets. 01:27:30.240 --> 01:27:33.589 So, in the following slide, please remember, this is 01:27:33.589 --> 01:27:36.889 a collective effort for many POUs, and not all of 01:27:36.889 --> 01:27:41.200 what is presented applies to everyone of us. Okay. So 01:27:41.210 --> 01:27:43.470 starting with vegetation management, let's start off 01:27:43.470 --> 01:27:46.099 with one of the most effective programs used to protect 01:27:46.099 --> 01:27:48.690 our system in the high fire threat area. That's our 01:27:48.690 --> 01:27:52.079 vegetation management programs. The POUS incorporate 01:27:52.440 --> 01:27:54.930 new clearance standards encompassing brush clearance, 01:27:54.930 --> 01:27:58.270 tree trimming, weed abatement, and often go well beyond 01:27:58.270 --> 01:28:02.669 GO 95, Rule 35 minimum requirements. We work in widened 01:28:02.669 --> 01:28:06.030 right of ways and clearances. We have aggressive pruning 01:28:06.030 --> 01:28:10.510 program. We have regular evaluations of all trees in 01:28:10.510 --> 01:28:13.790 our transmission and distribution lines. We incorporate 01:28:13.800 --> 01:28:16.680 extra midcycle inspections in the High Fire Threat 01:28:16.680 --> 01:28:19.919 District, and that includes the removal of dead trees 01:28:19.919 --> 01:28:23.649 which pose increased risks, even outside 01:28:23.649 --> 01:28:26.300 of our area. 01:28:26.300 --> 01:28:29.270 We're piloting new technologies that track the growth 01:28:29.270 --> 01:28:32.609 in high risk areas, such as fixed wings and pull mounted 01:28:32.609 --> 01:28:35.760 lidar cameras, as well as satellite-based 01:28:35.760 --> 01:28:39.530 vegetation surveillance. Due to some limited resources, 01:28:39.530 --> 01:28:42.750 we utilize both in-house and contracting qualified 01:28:42.760 --> 01:28:46.109 line-clearance tree trimmers and actively pursue additional 01:28:46.109 --> 01:28:48.960 funding to further accelerate our vegetation management 01:28:48.960 --> 01:28:51.119 activities. 01:28:51.119 --> 01:28:55.319 Could we go to the next slide? 01:28:55.319 --> 01:28:58.010 Hey Brian, can I ask a quick question? 01:28:58.010 --> 01:29:03.210 It's a privilege of the chair, but well, I hear a lot 01:29:03.210 --> 01:29:07.260 of feedback about Let's just cut down vegetation 01:29:07.460 --> 01:29:11.450 as opposed to harden the system, as opposed to putting 01:29:11.450 --> 01:29:15.909 in protected conductor. What would be POUs say 01:29:15.909 --> 01:29:17.227 about that? 01:29:17.252 --> 01:29:21.180 You know, most of our, especially specific to 01:29:21.180 --> 01:29:25.240 here in Los Angeles, most of our distribution 01:29:25.240 --> 01:29:27.450 lines run along property lines. So they're running 01:29:27.450 --> 01:29:30.379 along private property, right? Especially in our high 01:29:30.379 --> 01:29:33.599 fire threat areas. Some of those communities, they 01:29:33.599 --> 01:29:36.809 do have a lot of pressure on what we can and can't 01:29:36.809 --> 01:29:40.175 do on their properties. 01:29:40.200 --> 01:29:43.541 Yeah, all right. Yeah, 01:29:43.540 --> 01:29:46.899 Yeah. I'm 01:29:46.899 --> 01:29:52.240 sketchy with that. What is your overall fire exposure 01:29:52.369 --> 01:29:56.134 in LA? Like 10 to 15% of your territory? 01:29:56.159 --> 01:29:57.389 Yes, Anywhere 01:29:57.389 --> 01:30:00.899 from 7 to 15%. Depending if you're talking the transmission 01:30:00.899 --> 01:30:04.290 or distribution assets. 01:30:04.290 --> 01:30:08.710 We can talk offline about it then, but 01:30:08.720 --> 01:30:12.599 there is a group of people who are very upset. Not 01:30:12.599 --> 01:30:16.359 just you. With the IOUs as well about let's cut 01:30:16.359 --> 01:30:21.240 down a damn tree rather than hardening system, rather 01:30:21.240 --> 01:30:25.250 than putting in insulated conductor, rather than, and 01:30:25.260 --> 01:30:29.540 so I think the POUs should be sensitive to 01:30:29.540 --> 01:30:33.680 that observation and now I will shut up. Thank you. 01:30:33.680 --> 01:30:35.899 That's OK. And you know, some of the issues that 01:30:35.899 --> 01:30:39.639 we go through is not all of our issues are right 01:30:39.649 --> 01:30:42.940 in that right of way where the lines are. Especially 01:30:42.940 --> 01:30:45.010 here with palm fronds. Palm fronds are one of our biggest 01:30:45.010 --> 01:30:49.010 issues. They'll blow in the wind 30, 40, 100 feet and land 01:30:49.010 --> 01:30:53.059 on our lines. So even without our vegetation management 01:30:53.059 --> 01:30:57.290 program, hardening our system is still going to help 01:30:57.290 --> 01:30:59.899 us out tremendously. 01:30:59.899 --> 01:31:01.179 Okay. 01:31:01.204 --> 01:31:05.020 Okay. So onto the next slide on deenergization. 01:31:05.020 --> 01:31:08.760 Okay, so the bottom line, when the red flag 01:31:08.760 --> 01:31:10.740 warning comes in or a notification from the weather 01:31:10.740 --> 01:31:13.389 service comes in, and we're called to respond to an 01:31:13.389 --> 01:31:15.899 increased threat, that's when we put our plans into 01:31:15.899 --> 01:31:18.960 action. Most importantly is being able to have a full 01:31:18.960 --> 01:31:21.690 understanding of our systems and where our biggest threat 01:31:21.690 --> 01:31:25.089 areas are. Given the much smaller service territory 01:31:25.379 --> 01:31:28.210 within Tier two and Tier three areas, the POUs 01:31:28.210 --> 01:31:31.379 are able to utilize their protocols quite effectively. 01:31:32.409 --> 01:31:35.409 Most POUs disabled automatically closing capabilities 01:31:35.770 --> 01:31:38.389 within the high fire threat zones, either in field 01:31:38.389 --> 01:31:40.960 deployed fault interrupters or through station equipment. 01:31:42.460 --> 01:31:45.809 We take immediate measures to suspend non-essential 01:31:45.809 --> 01:31:49.450 work and take extra precautions during any restoration 01:31:49.450 --> 01:31:53.250 work within these areas. And a lot of the POUs are 01:31:53.250 --> 01:31:55.889 affected by Public Safety Power Shutoffs from the larger 01:31:55.889 --> 01:31:58.599 IOUs, but we only deenergize our lines in the 01:31:58.599 --> 01:32:01.790 event of a disaster if it is deemed necessary based 01:32:01.790 --> 01:32:05.869 on safety and reliability issues, whether it's a flood, 01:32:05.869 --> 01:32:09.280 a mudslide, excessive wind, earthquake or a 01:32:09.280 --> 01:32:12.409 wildfire, we coordinate with our local government agencies, 01:32:12.419 --> 01:32:15.059 such as fire department, public works, emergency services, 01:32:15.569 --> 01:32:17.649 as well as the community members, during these events 01:32:17.659 --> 01:32:20.829 to share information and effectively deenergize where 01:32:20.829 --> 01:32:25.389 needed to protect our system or for public safety. Considerations 01:32:25.389 --> 01:32:28.750 are made for water pumping facilities, evacuation routes, 01:32:29.250 --> 01:32:31.750 fueling stations 01:32:31.750 --> 01:32:35.309 to assist police and fire during the disasters. We're 01:32:35.309 --> 01:32:37.619 able to utilize our close communication in the local 01:32:37.619 --> 01:32:40.569 command centers with other city agencies to effectively 01:32:40.569 --> 01:32:43.540 observed developing weather, fuel status, and system 01:32:43.540 --> 01:32:46.139 conditions in real time to get ahead of the hazards 01:32:46.139 --> 01:32:49.750 and only de-energize where necessary. 01:32:49.750 --> 01:32:52.500 Many of our designs include redundancies in our residential 01:32:52.500 --> 01:32:55.430 systems that help to better isolate our problem areas 01:32:55.790 --> 01:33:00.540 and keep the surrounding areas energized. 01:33:00.540 --> 01:33:07.180 We can go to the next slide. 01:33:07.180 --> 01:33:09.290 Like all utilities, most effective way to increase the 01:33:09.290 --> 01:33:11.559 reliability of our system and mitigate hazards in the 01:33:11.559 --> 01:33:13.790 high fire threat areas is to improve the condition of 01:33:13.790 --> 01:33:17.190 our infrastructure. It starts with an intensive inspection 01:33:17.190 --> 01:33:19.750 program specific to the Tier 2 and Tier 3 areas. 01:33:21.020 --> 01:33:23.659 New and stronger materials are in constant development 01:33:23.839 --> 01:33:27.899 and being implemented in key places. Replacing wood 01:33:27.899 --> 01:33:30.659 poles with that ductile iron, steel, fiberglass poles not 01:33:30.659 --> 01:33:33.369 only improves the wind loading capabilities but increases 01:33:33.369 --> 01:33:36.309 the life span of the pole. Alternative pole materials 01:33:36.309 --> 01:33:38.960 are more resistant to damage caused by insects, 01:33:38.970 --> 01:33:43.250 woodpeckers, water intrusion, and such. 01:33:43.250 --> 01:33:47.369 Wind loading calculations meet or exceed state requirements 01:33:47.369 --> 01:33:52.450 are performed on all new pole installations. 01:33:52.450 --> 01:33:55.569 The replacement bare wire conductor with insulated 01:33:55.569 --> 01:33:58.800 conductor and increasing conductor spacing is a big 01:33:58.809 --> 01:34:01.059 step in increasing the reliability in these areas. 01:34:02.339 --> 01:34:05.369 Fibreglass crossed arms, wire spacers also increased 01:34:05.369 --> 01:34:07.760 the rigidness of our structures and reduce the probability 01:34:07.760 --> 01:34:12.099 of wires coming down due to external stresses. Avian 01:34:12.099 --> 01:34:14.879 protection is also used in insulated covers to help mitigate 01:34:14.889 --> 01:34:18.139 flash overs by birds, animals and Mylar balloons. 01:34:20.889 --> 01:34:25.980 All right. From the slide 24. 01:34:25.980 --> 01:34:28.430 Having a smaller service territory and a close relationship 01:34:28.430 --> 01:34:30.889 with other city agencies, like the police and Fire department, 01:34:31.079 --> 01:34:33.720 give us the opportunity to pilot innovative technologies 01:34:33.720 --> 01:34:37.059 into our system and evaluate their effectiveness in wildfire 01:34:37.069 --> 01:34:41.020 areas. Using both publicly shared wildfire cameras, 01:34:41.030 --> 01:34:44.250 such as alert wildfire, as well as our own pilot systems 01:34:44.639 --> 01:34:47.599 allow response teams to verify and confirm the location 01:34:47.599 --> 01:34:50.389 of wildfires and integrate responses with local fire 01:34:50.389 --> 01:34:52.720 departments. 01:34:52.720 --> 01:34:55.440 Field deployed fault interrupters minimize their impact 01:34:55.440 --> 01:34:57.690 to customer's help further sectionalize parts of our 01:34:57.690 --> 01:35:01.930 circuit. Drone technology with infrared as well as 01:35:01.940 --> 01:35:04.319 regular camera capabilities, also helped to identify 01:35:04.319 --> 01:35:09.180 hot spot on circuit. As well as utilizing floor technology 01:35:09.609 --> 01:35:14.609 during our detailed inspection cycles. 01:35:14.609 --> 01:35:16.879 I mentioned before about the use of fixed wings and 01:35:16.879 --> 01:35:20.040 pole mounted lidar systems, hyperspectral imaging, 01:35:20.050 --> 01:35:23.520 satellite surveillance. These will help identify line 01:35:23.520 --> 01:35:27.919 clearance and vegetation threats. 01:35:27.919 --> 01:35:30.260 The advancement of distribution automation and line 01:35:30.270 --> 01:35:34.329 sensing equipment. With that advancement, that analytics 01:35:34.339 --> 01:35:36.569 have become an integral part of identifying problem 01:35:36.569 --> 01:35:40.089 areas. As technology rapidly advances, our ability to 01:35:40.089 --> 01:35:43.500 analyze data drastically improves our ability 01:35:43.500 --> 01:35:47.809 to mitigate the hazards. 01:35:47.809 --> 01:35:54.720 Slide 25. 01:35:54.720 --> 01:35:59.169 One of the major thing, you know, actually, let 01:35:59.169 --> 01:36:03.020 me go back. Not all lessons learned from these 01:36:03.069 --> 01:36:05.809 that we're going to go through are from personal experience. 01:36:05.809 --> 01:36:08.379 Right? This information sharing allows us to gain 01:36:08.379 --> 01:36:11.030 the benefits of what has worked and what does not work 01:36:11.040 --> 01:36:14.520 for some of its other agencies. One of the major things 01:36:14.520 --> 01:36:16.930 that was learned from the past wildfires that even 01:36:16.930 --> 01:36:19.770 the most thorough vegetation management plan may not 01:36:19.770 --> 01:36:23.020 prevent branches from being blown into lines from an 01:36:23.030 --> 01:36:25.899 untrimmed palm tree on private property 50 feet 01:36:25.899 --> 01:36:29.109 away from our lines. They can still dislodge, blow 01:36:29.109 --> 01:36:34.359 long distances, and wreak havoc on our systems. Covered 01:36:34.359 --> 01:36:37.430 conductors and resilient construction materials is 01:36:37.430 --> 01:36:39.480 critical in the high fire threat areas to help prevent 01:36:39.490 --> 01:36:41.589 these hazards. 01:36:41.589 --> 01:36:44.430 One of the improvements we also have is the training 01:36:44.430 --> 01:36:46.569 of our employees to help ensure that key staff are 01:36:46.579 --> 01:36:49.419 up to date on the techniques and procedures for working 01:36:49.419 --> 01:36:53.329 in a fire threat area. A specific set of steps, techniques, 01:36:53.339 --> 01:36:55.809 materials, and equipment used by employees in high 01:36:55.809 --> 01:36:58.460 fire threat areas help reduce the possibilities of 01:36:58.460 --> 01:37:02.460 accidents in these areas. We put many communication 01:37:02.460 --> 01:37:05.889 protocols into community meetings alongside with our 01:37:05.889 --> 01:37:07.879 counterparts from the police and fire department to 01:37:07.879 --> 01:37:10.899 help educate the public to their responsibilities for 01:37:10.899 --> 01:37:14.159 brush clearance, private tree trimming, as well as putting 01:37:14.159 --> 01:37:18.349 in fire tolerant landscaping. 01:37:18.349 --> 01:37:21.379 Even with the advanced technologies, the physical inspections 01:37:21.669 --> 01:37:25.809 of poles, arms, lines, and equipment is critical to 01:37:25.809 --> 01:37:29.829 mitigating our risks. 01:37:29.829 --> 01:37:35.740 Slide 26. 01:37:35.740 --> 01:37:37.940 One of the advantages to the open communication between 01:37:37.950 --> 01:37:43.119 POUs is sharing information and best practices. Covered 01:37:43.119 --> 01:37:45.409 conductors or tree wire, certainly nothing new to the 01:37:45.409 --> 01:37:48.210 industry. But the advancement of the technology used 01:37:48.220 --> 01:37:51.079 today has made tree wire a viable solution in a lot 01:37:51.079 --> 01:37:54.180 of areas. The old tree wire that we've used that we 01:37:54.190 --> 01:37:57.159 had in the systems for a long time, was heavy, required 01:37:57.159 --> 01:38:00.740 a more robust construction technique, had reduced loading 01:38:00.740 --> 01:38:04.710 capabilities, and was very difficult to work with. Today's 01:38:04.710 --> 01:38:07.349 tree wire is essentially a stronger construction material 01:38:07.569 --> 01:38:10.659 and a lighter installation available on these conductors 01:38:10.659 --> 01:38:13.440 is becoming a great solution where other mitigating 01:38:13.440 --> 01:38:16.240 measures are not possible. 01:38:16.240 --> 01:38:19.530 Some of the other new emerging technologies is falling 01:38:19.530 --> 01:38:23.419 wire or rapid earth detection. And this, essentially, 01:38:23.419 --> 01:38:26.359 where we have the, it gives us the ability to adjust the 01:38:26.370 --> 01:38:29.160 settings to a sensitivity that will detect 01:38:29.169 --> 01:38:33.149 a fault on the line as it separates, and the line will 01:38:33.149 --> 01:38:37.609 de-energize before it hits the ground. 01:38:37.609 --> 01:38:42.530 So, these are just examples from one POU, and even though 01:38:42.530 --> 01:38:44.760 it's proved highly successful for that POU, 01:38:44.760 --> 01:38:49.550 it may not be viable for all POUs, but these 01:38:49.550 --> 01:38:51.830 are just some of the issues that we talk through and some 01:38:51.830 --> 01:38:57.999 of the best practices that are working for us. 01:38:57.999 --> 01:39:01.249 All right, Bryan, how many more pages in the presentation? 01:39:01.939 --> 01:39:04.189 This is it. So, just Scott's gonna go ahead and 01:39:04.189 --> 01:39:06.816 wrap it up. We have one more. 01:39:06.841 --> 01:39:10.452 All right, do your one more. 01:39:10.477 --> 01:39:15.110 Okay. Yeah. And that's slide 27. And basically, 01:39:15.109 --> 01:39:17.810 it's really final thoughts. And putting aside what's 01:39:17.819 --> 01:39:21.030 the bullets that are on there, we understand that these 01:39:21.030 --> 01:39:23.310 plans are going to continue to change and evolve over 01:39:23.310 --> 01:39:27.450 time. This is really sort of an evolving process 01:39:27.459 --> 01:39:30.879 where we are building on the experiences of previous 01:39:30.879 --> 01:39:33.080 years, we're preparing for this year, we're refining 01:39:33.080 --> 01:39:36.479 our efforts for 2021 and beyond. And we know that these things 01:39:36.479 --> 01:39:40.519 are going to improve over time. One final note 01:39:40.519 --> 01:39:45.760 on that is is you're noting the importance of collaboration, 01:39:45.959 --> 01:39:50.129 and we talk amongst ourselves quite a bit. We talk 01:39:50.140 --> 01:39:54.649 at all levels of our organizations. We do it within 01:39:54.660 --> 01:39:59.030 our individual JPAs, within our trade association, 01:39:59.220 --> 01:40:01.379 we do that at the federal level with our National Trade 01:40:01.379 --> 01:40:05.109 Association. We get involved with the ESECC 01:40:05.109 --> 01:40:08.749 at the federal level. And we do 01:40:08.749 --> 01:40:12.589 talk to our counterparts with the investor-owneds and 01:40:12.589 --> 01:40:15.740 our co-ops. This is not something that we do in a 01:40:15.740 --> 01:40:18.749 vacuum and really appreciate the opportunity to kind 01:40:18.749 --> 01:40:21.069 of provide some reflections on what we're doing today 01:40:21.189 --> 01:40:24.970 and look forward to your input and continuing the conversation. 01:40:27.390 --> 01:40:33.379 Alright. Good job. I want to solicit the Board Members. 01:40:33.390 --> 01:40:37.459 They may not all have come because, you know, it's 01:40:37.470 --> 01:40:42.769 fairly new information for some, but I do want to hear, 01:40:43.580 --> 01:40:46.609 I do want to hear what they think. And Board Member 01:40:46.609 --> 01:40:52.109 Alex, would you be amenable to giving your feedback? 01:40:52.109 --> 01:40:56.089 01:40:56.089 --> 01:40:59.517 Are you are you talking me? 01:40:59.542 --> 01:41:00.660 Yep. 01:41:00.685 --> 01:41:02.363 Okay, thanks. 01:41:02.919 --> 01:41:08.899 Yeah. I mean, I am learning a lot as well, and 01:41:09.019 --> 01:41:12.780 not coming from a utility background, a lot of this 01:41:13.019 --> 01:41:16.490 is really interesting to me, and it's also encouraging. 01:41:16.979 --> 01:41:22.180 Some of the technology that is coming out, like 01:41:22.189 --> 01:41:25.810 the covered conductors and the, you know, following, 01:41:25.810 --> 01:41:28.720 I mean, it's the super impressive, and it's really 01:41:28.720 --> 01:41:33.209 encouraging and I really appreciate, as I said, 01:41:33.209 --> 01:41:37.169 one size does not fit all, and it seems that that's the 01:41:37.169 --> 01:41:44.069 concept that you all are embracing, and you 01:41:44.069 --> 01:41:47.191 know, I'm encouraged by it. 01:41:47.216 --> 01:41:49.620 Alright, Board 01:41:49.620 --> 01:41:53.300 Member Porter, you have any thoughts on the muni 01:41:53.300 --> 01:41:55.660 presentation? 01:41:55.660 --> 01:42:00.530 Yeah, I enjoyed it. It was pretty comprehensive. I 01:42:00.539 --> 01:42:04.419 do have a few questions. With the covered conductor, 01:42:04.430 --> 01:42:09.530 that's going to be the new standard for probably 55 01:42:11.080 --> 01:42:15.689 entities out there, including IOUs and MPOUs, for 01:42:15.689 --> 01:42:19.789 the high fire areas where they literally can't eliminate 01:42:19.789 --> 01:42:26.580 assets. What have have you done in order to 01:42:26.870 --> 01:42:30.669 procure the appropriate amount of covered conductor? 01:42:31.979 --> 01:42:36.979 This wouldn't be standard deployment equipment 01:42:36.990 --> 01:42:40.999 for any of the IOUs or POUs. What is 01:42:40.999 --> 01:42:43.939 the criteria that you're utilizing to identify where 01:42:43.939 --> 01:42:47.819 you're going to put this conductor up, how you 01:42:47.819 --> 01:42:52.850 gonna procure the appropriate amount, and how 01:42:52.850 --> 01:42:56.629 are you going to actually deploy it? That's important. 01:43:00.910 --> 01:43:06.019 Would you like me to address that, Scott? 01:43:06.019 --> 01:43:08.560 Yeah, there's a lot of things that go into, as far as designing, 01:43:08.560 --> 01:43:12.240 to have the tree wire in place. The covered conductors, 01:43:12.580 --> 01:43:14.930 like I said, it still has the weight difference 01:43:14.930 --> 01:43:17.359 on it. It still has a load difference on it. A covered 01:43:17.359 --> 01:43:19.769 conductor, obviously, is not as efficient as an open 01:43:19.769 --> 01:43:22.359 conductor just for the cooling purposes alone of being 01:43:22.359 --> 01:43:24.890 in the open air. So loading has a lot to do with 01:43:24.899 --> 01:43:27.810 what size we can put up there. So a covered conductor 01:43:27.810 --> 01:43:30.749 obviously have to be a larger wire that's going 01:43:30.749 --> 01:43:34.310 in place to carry the same amount of load, which increases 01:43:34.310 --> 01:43:36.169 the weight, which increases the building material that 01:43:36.169 --> 01:43:39.030 we need, the wind loading and everything else. So there 01:43:39.030 --> 01:43:41.859 is some design aspects that go into that. There's some 01:43:41.859 --> 01:43:44.819 cost elements to it too. The additional material plus 01:43:44.830 --> 01:43:47.859 the work hours to work on a covered wires is obviously 01:43:47.859 --> 01:43:50.640 a lot different than a bare wire. So all that kind 01:43:50.640 --> 01:43:54.100 of goes into place. What we're doing is we're starting 01:43:54.100 --> 01:43:57.819 in our Tier 3 areas, and for all of our pole replacements, 01:43:58.039 --> 01:44:00.430 where we have copper wire in the air, we're replacing 01:44:00.430 --> 01:44:02.970 it with tree wire. So it's becoming one of our standard 01:44:02.970 --> 01:44:06.569 designs moving forward, but obviously, it doesn't fit in 01:44:06.569 --> 01:44:12.069 every application. 01:44:12.069 --> 01:44:16.200 Okay. And, I'm sorry. To continue, and it's, going 01:44:16.200 --> 01:44:22.720 along with with Chair Edward, how are you 01:44:22.720 --> 01:44:27.370 guys prioritizing that replacement to just 01:44:27.379 --> 01:44:32.609 veg management? 01:44:32.609 --> 01:44:36.570 I'm sorry. How we prioritizing? 01:44:36.595 --> 01:44:37.890 Yeah, 01:44:37.899 --> 01:44:41.870 in comparison. Instead of just a utilizing veg management 01:44:41.870 --> 01:44:46.519 as a, or line clearance, as an option to replacing. 01:44:46.669 --> 01:44:49.819 There are certain communities that that's extremely important to 01:44:50.720 --> 01:44:54.700 have, as a peace of mind, to have that covered conductor 01:44:54.700 --> 01:44:57.042 there. How are you weighing? 01:44:57.067 --> 01:44:59.300 Yeah, we have no intention 01:44:59.300 --> 01:45:02.169 of doing one or the other, right? They are going to 01:45:02.169 --> 01:45:04.560 go into parallel. Our new construction standards are 01:45:04.560 --> 01:45:07.850 going to be, in Tier 3 and Tier 2 areas, are going 01:45:07.850 --> 01:45:11.319 to be, you know, alternative poles, fiberglass cross 01:45:11.319 --> 01:45:14.939 arms, increased spacing, increased wind loading calculation, 01:45:15.200 --> 01:45:18.490 and tree wire. The vegetation management program still 01:45:18.490 --> 01:45:21.080 is going to continue as it is. We're going to continue 01:45:21.080 --> 01:45:24.930 to inspect every tree within our right of way, every year, 01:45:25.339 --> 01:45:28.970 and do our same brush clearance technique that we're 01:45:28.970 --> 01:45:32.089 doing now. So they are not gonna be one in lieu of the other. 01:45:32.089 --> 01:45:35.289 They're gonna be in parallel. 01:45:37.359 --> 01:45:41.359 Alright, Member Block, do you have any questions 01:45:41.649 --> 01:45:46.140 for the POU community? 01:45:46.140 --> 01:45:49.789 I don't have any explicit questions. I did want to 01:45:49.800 --> 01:45:54.850 say that I'm encouraged to hear more from the POUs 01:45:54.859 --> 01:45:59.760 on their collaboration efforts amongst each other and 01:45:59.760 --> 01:46:02.769 how they go about that, and what their public 01:46:02.769 --> 01:46:06.479 engagement process looks like. I think the Board probably 01:46:06.479 --> 01:46:10.129 has a lot to learn with how they do business and 01:46:10.129 --> 01:46:13.689 how we can incorporate that to the processes we're thinking 01:46:13.689 --> 01:46:15.236 about. Thank you. 01:46:15.261 --> 01:46:18.240 Thank you, ma'am. I actually agree. 01:46:18.249 --> 01:46:20.959 Mr Mader? 01:46:20.959 --> 01:46:24.379 Yes. My question or comment is, I haven't had a chance 01:46:24.379 --> 01:46:28.240 yet to review the individual POU mitigation plans, 01:46:29.060 --> 01:46:31.990 but I did find it extremely helpful that there was 01:46:31.990 --> 01:46:38.280 a common platform from the IOU. It was much easier to find 01:46:38.280 --> 01:46:42.080 things. It was much easier to compare plans. And 01:46:42.080 --> 01:46:45.189 considering that you have so many clients, has there 01:46:45.189 --> 01:46:50.459 been thought given to a common platform so that, you 01:46:50.459 --> 01:46:53.560 know, of the different mitigation, different considerations. 01:46:54.490 --> 01:46:57.310 Not exactly alike, obviously, you have different interest 01:46:57.310 --> 01:47:00.319 in the IOUs and different drivers. But still, 01:47:00.319 --> 01:47:03.479 if there was a common platform, it would make it easier 01:47:03.479 --> 01:47:09.319 for others to compare and analyze your mitigation 01:47:09.319 --> 01:47:11.289 plan. 01:47:11.289 --> 01:47:13.215 You know, I read 01:47:13.227 --> 01:47:15.810 (inaudible, crosstalk) and I agree with you 01:47:16.470 --> 01:47:21.370 I'm just having trouble integrating the topographal 01:47:21.370 --> 01:47:26.260 and geographic instances. But I would again encourage 01:47:26.899 --> 01:47:30.390 the municipal community, the publicly owned community, 01:47:30.450 --> 01:47:36.879 to find those two or three or four commonalities that 01:47:36.890 --> 01:47:41.089 that they can put into that frame work, and I hear you, 01:47:41.300 --> 01:47:44.490 I hear you. I'm sorry, Scott or Bryan, I didn't mean to 01:47:44.499 --> 01:47:45.962 step on you. Go ahead. 01:47:45.987 --> 01:47:48.089 Oh, thank you. Thank you, Chair 01:47:48.089 --> 01:47:51.990 Edwards. I just wanted to comment briefly that, in the 01:47:51.990 --> 01:47:55.200 development of the plans themselves, we we actually, as 01:47:55.310 --> 01:47:58.800 part of our collaboration, we started with a general 01:47:58.800 --> 01:48:01.629 template that could work for some of the smaller utilities. 01:48:01.640 --> 01:48:04.399 Which many of them of used. So as you start to review 01:48:04.740 --> 01:48:07.430 some of those things, you'll see a common framework 01:48:07.439 --> 01:48:10.819 for some of these documents. And as some of the larger 01:48:10.819 --> 01:48:14.050 utilities that have other things that they want to address, 01:48:14.060 --> 01:48:16.439 they would sort of expand on that and do some other 01:48:16.439 --> 01:48:18.950 things. But it's not as if you're going to see just 01:48:19.490 --> 01:48:23.220 a potpurri of 40 different types of documentation 01:48:23.220 --> 01:48:25.899 to come your way when you review it. But we can certainly 01:48:25.899 --> 01:48:29.490 look into that moreso for purposes of reporting. 01:48:29.490 --> 01:48:34.649 I appreciate that. Ralph, do you have anything 01:48:34.649 --> 01:48:38.749 you want to make sure hits the table here? 01:48:38.749 --> 01:48:42.780 No, not really, ChairmanEdwards. I just want to 01:48:42.789 --> 01:48:45.019 thank 01:48:45.019 --> 01:48:50.740 both Scott and Bryan for the presentation. Very, very informative 01:48:50.740 --> 01:48:55.930 on the POUS are doing. I would just make 01:48:55.939 --> 01:48:58.089 one comment because we're starting to see this from 01:48:58.089 --> 01:49:01.479 the end user because there's so much discussion 01:49:01.479 --> 01:49:04.129 over the use of proper 01:49:04.129 --> 01:49:08.550 conductor, you know, and we're installing it to 01:49:09.800 --> 01:49:14.490 mitigate a fire issue. But it does create some issues 01:49:14.499 --> 01:49:18.300 with related to the end user or the worker in the field 01:49:18.959 --> 01:49:24.010 regarding safety, current safety practices, and how do you 01:49:24.010 --> 01:49:28.019 verify test voltage? How do you install 01:49:28.019 --> 01:49:31.800 grounds? Those types of things. So I just, you know, 01:49:31.810 --> 01:49:35.240 I just want to pass that. And it's not just an issue, 01:49:35.240 --> 01:49:38.410 won't be just an issue associated with the POUs. 01:49:38.700 --> 01:49:42.050 Its an issue associated with everybody that's using that. 01:49:42.490 --> 01:49:44.890 Now, when it's new, when it's up, we don't anticipate 01:49:44.890 --> 01:49:48.289 any issues. But when there is one, just trying to 01:49:48.300 --> 01:49:52.999 develop plans and, you know, beforehand, before it 01:49:53.010 --> 01:49:58.189 becomes an issue. 01:49:58.189 --> 01:50:02.430 Thank you Board Member. Vice Chair, do you have anything 01:50:02.430 --> 01:50:07.789 you want to observe with respect to the municipal presentation? 01:50:09.439 --> 01:50:12.859 Yes. Thank you, Chair Edwards. I also extend my 01:50:12.870 --> 01:50:17.240 thanks. Not only for today's presentation, but the manner 01:50:17.240 --> 01:50:20.640 in which the publicly owned utilities have embraced 01:50:21.080 --> 01:50:26.260 this Board's mission. It's really been a steep learning 01:50:26.260 --> 01:50:30.970 curve for all of us. I come more from the IOU 01:50:30.979 --> 01:50:38.870 world, and I really do want to express gratitude 01:50:38.879 --> 01:50:43.310 for the publicly owned utilities helping us to learn 01:50:43.310 --> 01:50:47.310 about them, and then, engaging in a way that we can accomplish 01:50:47.310 --> 01:50:52.050 our statutory responsibilities and still respect the 01:50:52.060 --> 01:50:57.620 POUs individuality. 01:50:57.620 --> 01:51:00.720 All right, I appreciate that. Do we have anymore comments from 01:51:00.720 --> 01:51:04.289 Board Members? Because I do need to open it up for 01:51:04.300 --> 01:51:08.410 public comments at the conclusion of the POU 01:51:08.410 --> 01:51:13.379 presentation. Anything else from Board Members? 01:51:13.379 --> 01:51:18.959 All right, let get my list. My God. Alright. Wildfire 01:51:18.970 --> 01:51:22.890 Safety Advisory Board email box. Catherine Stockton, do 01:51:23.160 --> 01:51:25.212 you have any emails? 01:51:25.237 --> 01:51:28.289 I'm very excited and happy to 01:51:28.300 --> 01:51:32.640 report that we have received one email. This comes 01:51:32.649 --> 01:51:38.569 from Jason Nicoli. He's the engineer at 01:51:38.959 --> 01:51:43.100 Pasadena Water and Power Department. And he said 01:51:43.100 --> 01:51:46.580 that the city of Pasadena has been installing covered 01:51:46.580 --> 01:51:53.379 wire as the standard wire for nearly 15 years. 01:51:53.379 --> 01:51:59.180 Yes, that makes sense. Alright, anymore? 01:51:59.180 --> 01:52:01.064 No, no more emails. 01:52:01.089 --> 01:52:02.530 Thank you. Now I'm going to 01:52:02.530 --> 01:52:07.830 check the chat box. Jack Chang, do we have anything? 01:52:07.830 --> 01:52:11.370 This is Jack Chang. We received one comment on the 01:52:11.370 --> 01:52:15.379 Board's recommendations after the vote. And I will 01:52:15.379 --> 01:52:19.450 read it here. It's from Harry Burton of the CPUC Public 01:52:19.459 --> 01:52:25.149 Advocate's Office. And he writes, the Public Advocates 01:52:25.149 --> 01:52:28.490 office appreciates the Wildfire Safety Advisory 01:52:28.490 --> 01:52:33.039 Board's recommendations regarding the IOUs 2020 01:52:33.039 --> 01:52:36.810 Wildfire Mitigation Plan. Several of which are similar 01:52:36.810 --> 01:52:39.839 to ideas that the Public Advocates office addressed in our comments 01:52:40.640 --> 01:52:44.609 on the wildfire mitigation plans. However, has the 01:52:44.609 --> 01:52:48.370 Board given consideration to how to separate the scope 01:52:48.530 --> 01:52:51.019 of wildfire mitigation plans from other commission 01:52:51.019 --> 01:52:55.749 proceedings, especially the de-energization 01:52:55.760 --> 01:52:59.280 rulemaking, several of the Board's recommendations relating 01:52:59.289 --> 01:53:02.479 to de-engergization. And there's (mumbled) for interaction 01:53:03.069 --> 01:53:06.720 what the de-engergization rulemaking. There could be 01:53:06.720 --> 01:53:10.109 duplication or conflicts. For example, standards for 01:53:10.120 --> 01:53:14.140 de-energization are developed separately by the Wildfire 01:53:14.149 --> 01:53:17.899 Safety Advisory Board and Safety and Enforcement 01:53:17.899 --> 01:53:22.189 Division in different proceedings. The Board's recommendation 01:53:22.200 --> 01:53:25.879 on re-energization did not reference to revised guidelines 01:53:25.890 --> 01:53:30.330 that are being developed by Safety and Enforcement division 01:53:30.950 --> 01:53:34.539 and Energy division. Has the Board's coordinated 01:53:34.539 --> 01:53:38.160 with Safety and Enforcement division or Energy division 01:53:38.160 --> 01:53:41.490 regarding work that is occurring in the de-energization 01:53:41.490 --> 01:53:45.939 rulemaking. Similarly, recommendation number eight relates 01:53:45.950 --> 01:53:48.640 to developing criteria and metrics for grid hardening 01:53:48.640 --> 01:53:52.050 projects that aim to mitigate the scope and impact 01:53:52.060 --> 01:53:55.899 de-energization. The public advocate's office 01:53:55.899 --> 01:54:00.249 agrees that developing such criteria is important, however 01:54:00.260 --> 01:54:03.419 it is unclear whether this is the scope of the Wildfire 01:54:03.510 --> 01:54:06.300 Safety division's responsibility and authority. 01:54:07.260 --> 01:54:09.649 The Wildfire Safety division scope is focused on 01:54:09.649 --> 01:54:14.689 mitigating wildfire risk, not mitigating PSPS impact. It 01:54:14.689 --> 01:54:17.089 may be more appropriate to develop criteria for such 01:54:17.089 --> 01:54:21.769 great hardening projects in the context of the de-energization 01:54:21.769 --> 01:54:25.019 rulemaking. And that concludes comments from the chatbox. 01:54:25.019 --> 01:54:29.269 Thank you, Jack. I appreciate that. We will take 01:54:29.269 --> 01:54:33.580 those comments under advisement. I would like 01:54:33.580 --> 01:54:36.350 to check with our telephone operator. Do we have any 01:54:36.359 --> 01:54:38.530 public comments on the phone? 01:54:38.555 --> 01:54:40.701 There are no public comments 01:54:40.700 --> 01:54:41.753 at this time. 01:54:41.778 --> 01:54:44.911 Thank you so much. Finally, I'd like check 01:54:44.910 --> 01:54:48.689 with the Public Advisor, Allison Brown. Have you received any 01:54:48.899 --> 01:54:49.772 comment? 01:54:49.797 --> 01:54:52.390 I have not received any public comments at 01:54:52.390 --> 01:54:53.948 this time. 01:54:53.973 --> 01:54:58.621 I appreciate that. Is there anyone else 01:54:58.640 --> 01:55:03.769 amongst the Board that I did not call on that wants 01:55:03.780 --> 01:55:08.569 to insert information about the Public Owned Utility 01:55:08.569 --> 01:55:12.979 presentation. I thought I hit everyone, but, you know, 01:55:13.660 --> 01:55:16.859 technologically, it's exploding. 01:55:16.859 --> 01:55:19.959 All right, 01:55:19.959 --> 01:55:23.870 all right, I will, given the time frame, it's three 01:55:23.870 --> 01:55:28.740 o'clock. We're running ahead. I'm going to move into 01:55:28.749 --> 01:55:31.800 the introductory discussion about the timeline and 01:55:31.800 --> 01:55:37.089 next steps. And I would like to, again, introduce Catherine 01:55:37.089 --> 01:55:42.260 Stockton to lead the discussion. 01:55:42.260 --> 01:55:46.760 Thank you. So 01:55:46.760 --> 01:55:51.810 staff developed an alternative timeline 01:55:51.819 --> 01:55:55.879 that we would like to present to the Board today. This 01:55:55.879 --> 01:56:01.470 is slide 31 for our wonderful IT folks, slide 31. 01:56:01.479 --> 01:56:07.149 And we developed this alternative timeline 01:56:07.479 --> 01:56:12.950 because, for two reasons. First, because of 01:56:12.959 --> 01:56:20.220 public comment, as stakeholders can see, we 01:56:20.220 --> 01:56:24.899 receive public comments here, today, this week on the 01:56:24.910 --> 01:56:29.359 13th, and there wasn't really much trying to 01:56:29.370 --> 01:56:33.859 really review public comment in depth, but and 01:56:34.240 --> 01:56:37.339 as advisers, there wasn't enough time for us to make 01:56:37.339 --> 01:56:40.680 a recommendation to the Board, and for the Board 01:56:40.680 --> 01:56:43.669 to consider that recommendation on any potential changes. 01:56:44.350 --> 01:56:51.479 So in this next round of recommendations, we have 01:56:52.459 --> 01:56:59.919 proposed, I think it's six days, six or seven 01:56:59.919 --> 01:57:05.450 days, between when public comments is due to when the, we 01:57:05.450 --> 01:57:13.019 will post any revised recommendations. 01:57:13.019 --> 01:57:17.470 And then, the other reason is that we've 01:57:17.740 --> 01:57:21.039 made these changes, proposed these changes to the timeline, 01:57:21.430 --> 01:57:24.560 is that we don't we don't believe it's necessary 01:57:24.950 --> 01:57:31.229 to have a 2 board meeting on one set of recommendations. 01:57:32.350 --> 01:57:36.870 So we propose cancelling the May board meeting. 01:57:37.189 --> 01:57:42.339 And that way, staff can focus its energy on assisting 01:57:42.339 --> 01:57:45.169 the Board in development of these recommendations. 01:57:45.749 --> 01:57:51.589 Catherine? Can I can I ask you for 01:57:51.600 --> 01:57:56.669 a, and this is me, a crayon interpretation. We're 01:57:56.680 --> 01:58:05.740 asking the Board to delete the May 27 meeting. And what 01:58:05.749 --> 01:58:11.359 are we replicating that with? Study sessions? What are we 01:58:11.359 --> 01:58:13.740 doing? 01:58:13.740 --> 01:58:20.959 The Board can continue it's Bagley-Keene meeting, 01:58:21.600 --> 01:58:24.430 continue its communication with staff, but no, 01:58:24.430 --> 01:58:27.649 there wouldn't be any other replacement for the main 01:58:27.649 --> 01:58:31.910 meeting. We would continue and have the meeting in 01:58:32.030 --> 01:58:35.230 June. Alright, so we'll (inaudible, 01:58:35.242 --> 01:58:39.280 crosstalk) May 27 is off the table. Are you 01:58:39.280 --> 01:58:47.569 OK? Do not like it? What? What are you thinking? 01:58:47.569 --> 01:58:51.899 You're all going what the hell. 01:58:51.899 --> 01:58:57.700 In terms of timeline, it doesn't 01:58:57.709 --> 01:59:03.039 change that much. It just means we wouldn't, so as it was 01:59:03.240 --> 01:59:06.149 developed, initially, we would have had, we would have 01:59:06.149 --> 01:59:11.129 released the the May, we would have released 01:59:11.260 --> 01:59:16.249 the materials earlier in May, and then 01:59:16.249 --> 01:59:19.800 discussed the recommendations at the Board meeting, 01:59:20.220 --> 01:59:23.010 and then accepted public comment, and then revised and 01:59:23.010 --> 01:59:27.120 then had another meeting. But this way, it gives 01:59:27.129 --> 01:59:30.620 the Board additional time to develop recommendations. 01:59:30.999 --> 01:59:33.904 That is another (inaudible, crosstalk) reason. 01:59:33.929 --> 01:59:35.140 The Vice Chair would 01:59:35.140 --> 01:59:37.300 like to say something. 01:59:37.300 --> 01:59:41.280 Thank you. What we would be doing during 01:59:41.280 --> 01:59:48.010 this time is now turning our attention to the 2021 01:59:48.019 --> 01:59:51.850 WMP guidelines. As we're statutorily bound. 01:59:52.339 --> 01:59:57.609 We'll be developing an approach, just like we did 01:59:57.620 --> 02:00:03.060 for 2020. We'll be able to do a deeper dive. Given 02:00:03.060 --> 02:00:07.959 that we do not have any ex parte limitations as 02:00:07.959 --> 02:00:13.339 a Board, we can also use this time to workshop ideas 02:00:13.729 --> 02:00:17.189 or have individual meetings with stakeholders, such 02:00:17.189 --> 02:00:21.260 as the IOUs, the cities and county, other community 02:00:21.260 --> 02:00:24.459 representatives, individuals, etcetera, etcetera, that 02:00:24.459 --> 02:00:29.470 we've, other agencies. And we can also take the 02:00:29.479 --> 02:00:33.289 time to do our own individual greater research. So 02:00:33.749 --> 02:00:41.289 this is important for two reasons. One, we can 02:00:41.289 --> 02:00:46.870 expand our efforts. And also we can have our advisors 02:00:47.629 --> 02:00:52.010 not spend the time organizing an interim meeting 02:00:52.019 --> 02:00:55.039 but rather focus directly on our draft recommendations 02:00:55.039 --> 02:01:01.229 for 2021. Thank you. 02:01:01.229 --> 02:01:03.729 Okay. 02:01:03.729 --> 02:01:08.200 All right. Does anyone have, of Board Members and 02:01:08.359 --> 02:01:13.189 and our incredible advisors, anyone have feedback 02:01:13.830 --> 02:01:20.129 on adjusting our schedule to the new timeline 02:01:20.140 --> 02:01:26.120 proposed by staff. Anybody have heartache? 02:01:26.120 --> 02:01:31.539 If not, I'm gonna entertain a motion. 02:01:31.539 --> 02:01:34.310 Give me a hand. 02:01:34.310 --> 02:01:38.789 Come on. Thank you, John. And I need a second. Thank 02:01:38.800 --> 02:01:47.189 you, Jessica. All those in favor, raise a hand. 02:01:47.189 --> 02:01:53.680 1, 2, 3, 4. All right. All right. That's a go. 02:01:53.680 --> 02:02:01.359 Okay, Jamie, Anything else we need to do? 02:02:01.359 --> 02:02:08.879 I mean, I consider this an unmitigated success. I 02:02:08.890 --> 02:02:15.689 am just blown away, and it was our advisors, I have 02:02:15.700 --> 02:02:22.089 no doubt as many did. Ladies and gentlemen, holy 02:02:22.129 --> 02:02:28.539 cow, we conducted a public session with sufficient 02:02:28.970 --> 02:02:35.180 feedback. And we did it, you know, unbelievably 02:02:35.180 --> 02:02:43.149 controlled and logical way. Oh, my God. 02:02:43.149 --> 02:02:52.519 Good job, girls. Ladies. I don't know the right word. 02:02:52.519 --> 02:02:59.919 All right, now, have we voted yet? We did. 02:02:59.919 --> 02:03:03.709 All right. 02:03:03.709 --> 02:03:08.680 We did the vote on the timeline. Thank you for participating 02:03:08.689 --> 02:03:13.100 in this virtual, and yeah, the IT guys were fabulous. Thank 02:03:13.100 --> 02:03:18.899 you so much. Joe Honda and his team. I mean, 02:03:18.959 --> 02:03:23.019 it was amazing. We looked like we knew what we were 02:03:23.019 --> 02:03:25.019 doing, 02:03:25.019 --> 02:03:31.680 so thank you. Thank you to all the support staff. Wow. 02:03:32.899 --> 02:03:37.120 All right, Jamie. Anything else? 02:03:37.120 --> 02:03:41.479 All right, boys and girls. I would entertain 02:03:41.490 --> 02:03:50.240 a motion to adjourn. Ralph. Seconded by Chris. All right. 02:03:51.209 --> 02:03:55.019 All those in favor. 02:03:55.019 --> 02:04:00.350 Thank you, you get it. All right. Good job, you guys. Just 02:04:00.530 --> 02:04:01.996 incredible work. 02:04:02.021 --> 02:04:05.660 And same to you, Marcy. I think 02:04:05.669 --> 02:04:09.569 the Board appreciates your leadership. A round of applause 02:04:09.580 --> 02:04:13.319 for Marcy. Because we couldn't have done it without you.