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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The company said the ongoing strategy detailed in its 2021 Wildfire Mitigation Plan is meant to help keep customers and communities safe by enhancing its Community Wildfire Safety Program.
The 1,013-page plan can be found here.
It is subject to public review and approval by the CPUC. Customers and communities can follow the proceeding and offer comments through the CPUC website.
The Community Wildfire Safety Program, which PG&E launched in March 2018 – five months after fires caused by its equipment tore through the North Bay, including Lake County – is designed to address the growing threat of severe weather and wildfires across PG&E’s 70,000-square-mile service area that stretches across Northern and Central California.
“The last few years have demonstrated how California’s wildfire season continues to grow longer and more devastating. We are continuing to evolve to meet the challenging conditions to more effectively reduce wildfire risk,” said Sumeet Singh, senior vice president and chief risk officer. “We are accountable to our customers and our communities that we are privileged to serve. The safety actions and programs outlined in our Wildfire Mitigation Plan provide details for our continued commitment to the critical work of providing safe and reliable service.”
PG&E said its new plan focuses on key areas including reducing wildfire potential by inspecting and repairing equipment, conducting enhanced vegetation management, and investing in grid technology and system hardening; improving situational awareness by installing weather stations and high-definition cameras throughout PG&E’s service area, investing in PG&E’s Wildfire Safety Operations Center that monitors high-fire threat areas in real time, and investing in meteorology to monitor weather conditions; and continuing to make the PSPS program better and build on the improvements from the 2020 program by upgrading the electric system to ensure PSPS is a last resort and improving support for impacted customers and communities when PSPS is necessary.
In Lake County, upgrades that PG&E spokeswoman Deanna Contreras said are part of the plan include the building of two new microgrids, one in Lucerne and one in Middletown.
Contreras pointed out that PG&E’s efforts to continue to improve the PSPS program also impacted Lake County, where far fewer customers were impacted by proactive power shutoffs in 2020 than in 2019.
As of the end of 2020, Lake County had 30 weather stations and seven cameras installed and being used by PG&E to monitor conditions. Contreras said 12 of those weather stations were installed in 2020.
PG&E said the forecasted cost of wildfire mitigation programs described in the plan is about $3 billion each year for two years – 2021 and 2022.
The costs reflect what the company said is its best estimate of the costs for the proposed programs as of Feb. 5. Actual costs may vary substantially depending on actual conditions and requirements.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The commission will meet virtually beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9.
The agenda can be found here.
Submit comments and questions in writing for commission consideration by sending them to
Community members also can participate via Zoom.
To give the planning commission adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit written comments prior to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9.
The meet will be broadcast live on the Youtube channels for the city of Clearlake or Lake County PEG TV.
On the agenda is a public hearing to adopt a resolution to approve a use permit application for the operation of a drive-thru baker and coffee shop using existing facilities at 15090 Olympic Drive, and finding the project exempt from environmental review.
Pascal Hue De Laroque is applying to open the business at the former location of Classy Cakes, which operated there until July 2017, according to the staff report from Senior Planner Mark Roberts.
“While the proposed business plan utilizes the existing site facilities it should be noted that sit-down dining (indoor or outdoor) is not included at this time and has been excluded from the project analysis,” Roberts wrote in his report.
“The application does involve some minor renovations, including the installation of a drive through window on the west side of the building and new signage. Current tenant improvements involve upgrading the exterior lighting fixtures, trimming the overgrowth off the entryway tree, and installing a brand-new security system (with generous coverage of traffic on Olympic Drive), as well as various other aesthetic improvements,” he said.
Roberts said the proposed project is located within the Mixed Use Zoning District and is designated mixed use by the general plan land use map.
The city’s zoning code determines drive-thrus – which are defined as a “special use” – are allowable use upon securing a use permit, Roberts said.
“It is recognized that these facilities, by their very nature, have some objectionable characteristics, such as noise, idling vehicles and traffic conflicts. In order to protect and preserve public health, safety and welfare, special regulation review of these uses is necessary,” he said.
The commission’s members are Chair Kathryn Davis, Vice Chair Robert Coker and commissioners Lisa Wilson, Erin McCarrick and Fawn Williams.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Lara said the partnership includes the California Department of Insurance and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration, including the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and the California Public Utilities Commission.
“Hardening” refers to measures that prepare homes and communities to better survive a wildfire, such as building upgrades, defensible space and fire-resistant landscaping.
While California has existing wildfire building standards for new development as established by Cal Fire, this new partnership consisting of state wildfire, catastrophe and insurance experts will establish standards that are consistent, based in fire science, and apply to retrofits for older existing homes in order to help them seek and maintain insurance coverage, thus giving policyholders and insurance companies a shared strategy for reducing wildfire risks.
“With home and community hardening standards in place, Californians can hope to save lives and property through safer homes and increase insurance availability at the same time,” said Commissioner Lara. “Our insurance market is responding to higher wildfire risk, so safeguarding homes will assist consumers in finding and keeping their insurance. I look forward to working with Gov. Newsom and his administration on this critical mitigation effort to protect homes and communities from wildfire loss.”
“Climate change is a major contributor to the increased severity and frequency of California wildfires, and to the resulting unprecedented loss of life and property in recent years,” said Kate Gordon, director of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and the Governor’s Senior Policy Advisor on Climate. “Unless we take coordinated action now, these impacts will only worsen – especially in our most vulnerable communities. Identifying consistent statewide standards for home and community hardening is critical to California’s goal of reducing wildfire risk while increasing our overall resilience.”
“Development of a statewide retrofitting program that can reduce insurance loss is an important step in ensuring communities are hardened against the devastating effect of wildfire,” said State Fire Marshal Chief Mike Richwine. “Taking the necessary measures to prepare your home can help increase its chance of survival when wildfire strikes.”
“As our state continues to grapple with catastrophic wildfires, it is important that we take proactive steps to prepare and protect our communities,” said Mark Ghilarducci, director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. “We look forward to working with Commissioner Lara and our partners to collaboratively strengthen California’s preparedness and mitigation efforts.”
“The CPUC welcomes this collaboration with our sister agencies on this very important issue,” said CPUC President Marybel Batjer. “We each play an important and distinct role in wildfire mitigation, community resilience, and recovery, and our work together will help ensure that Californians are aware of efforts at the state level, the assistance that is available to them, and ways they can help reduce risk.”
This partnership is the latest step to enact regulatory and administrative actions that Commissioner Lara announced on Sept. 16, 2020, using his existing regulatory authority under voter-approved Proposition 103 to protect the state’s insurance market.
Commissioner Lara held hearings on Oct. 19 and Dec. 10, 2020, to gather public input into fire mitigation and other steps to address the availability and affordability of insurance due to wildfires. Watch video of those hearings and learn more at www.insurance.ca.gov.
Last year, Gov. Newsom signed legislation to increase consumer protections for wildfire survivors, including Senate Bill 872 authored by state Sen. Bill Dodd and sponsored by Commissioner Lara, among other measures.
In his signing message for SB 872 and Assembly Bill 3012, Gov. Newsom stated that “we must do more” and directed the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, CalOES, and Cal Fire to “work with the Insurance Commissioner to evaluate and recommend ways that residents, communities and the insurance industry can work together to better mitigate wildfire risks. This work should inform the development of solutions for residents in wildfire-prone areas who continue to face the threat of policy non-renewal and rising premium costs for those policies that are available.”
This partnership is in furtherance of the governor’s signing message and to help protect residents from the increasing risk of wildfires and stabilize the insurance market.
Dodd – who formerly represented Lake County in the state Assembly and now serves all or portions of Napa, Solano, Yolo, Sonoma, Contra Costa and Sacramento counties in the California Senate – on Monday lauded the creation of the new statewide plan for home and community hardening.
“I want to thank Gov. Newsom and Commissioner Lara for following through for people who’ve endured tremendous hardship over the past several years of devastating wildfires,” Sen. Dodd said. “This has been a high priority for me and I appreciate their collaborative approach. We must deliver for Californians who deserve accessible and affordable insurance.”
The partnering agencies and departments will begin meeting this month.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
Since December, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and wildlife rehabilitation centers have been inundated with calls from residents who are finding sick or dead finches at bird feeders.
Most reports have come from locations on California’s Central Coast, the San Francisco Bay Area and Sierra Nevada communities.
CDFW’s Wildlife Investigations Laboratory has evaluated birds from several locations and determined the cause of illness to be salmonellosis, a disease caused by salmonella bacteria.
Pine siskins, a species of finch that winters in California, are the primary species affected by the outbreak. The disease has also been reported in smaller numbers of lesser goldfinches and American goldfinches.
“Salmonellosis occurs periodically in pine siskins in some winters throughout their range. When large numbers of pine siskins congregate, the disease can spread rapidly causing high mortality. Most birds die within 24 hours of infection,” said CDFW Senior Environmental Scientist Krysta Rogers, an avian disease specialist.
Birds become infected with salmonella when they ingest food, water or come into contact with objects – such as bird feeders, perches soil – contaminated with feces from an infected bird.
Sick birds often appear weak, have labored breathing, and may sit for prolonged periods with fluffed or ruffled feathers.
Salmonellosis is almost exclusively reported from locations with bird feeders where birds congregate.
Residents can help reduce disease transmission by removing bird feeders and bird baths. Allowing birds to feed on natural seeds rather than at bird feeders reduces contact between birds and helps slow spread of the disease.
Residents can report dead birds to CDFW’s Wildlife Investigations Laboratory using the mortality reporting form, which helps biologists monitor the outbreak.
Disposable gloves should be worn and hands should be thoroughly washed after disposing of dead birds, and handling of bird feeders and bird baths.
If sick birds are found, please contact your local wildlife rehabilitation center for advice.