No. of Recommendations: 14
Camera, sensing and communication technology has come a long ways in recent years. You would think there are solutions installable on high voltage lines and towers to immediately detect and automatically alleviate fire hazard problems implementable at a small fraction of the cost of buried high voltage lines.
It is true that technology can let operators know when wind speeds exceed the tolerances of their equipment. The response to such reports is to turn off the juice. This prevents the lines from starting fires. It also leaves downstream customers without power. This has happened so frequently in California in recent years that it has an acronym -- PSPS, Public Safety Power Shutoffs.
A public policy question is likely to be whether customers are willing to pay significantly higher utility rates for a more resilient power grid or are willing to accept these intentional blackouts, which are projected to increase in frequency, in exchange for lower rates. Burying power lines is not the only means to achieve a more resilient grid, although it's probably the most reliable.
Some communities are looking at microgrid technology, which can incorporate solar-plus-storage battery systems to fill gaps when the macro grid is offline.
The big federal infrastructure spending bill included establishment of something called the Community Energy Resilience Investment (CERI) program, which California is tapping to upgrade its grid infrastructure generally.
Southern California Edison has an initiative called "Reimagining the Grid" which is mostly aimed at supporting California's decarbonization goals but also claims to modernize grid planning, design and operation.
There are also Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) systems designed to optimize transmission by continually adjusting the thermal rating of the lines based on real-time weather readings, including wind speeds. Unfortunately, sudden changes in conditions can leave lines operating above their thermal limits, so these systems may introduce an additional hazard if not monitored expertly.
