PG&E Seeks Approval

Pacific Gas and Electric Company today asked the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to approve a six-year initiative -- the Cornerstone Improvement Program -- to significantly improve the reliability of PG&E's electric distribution system. At the same time, the utility requested enhancements to its Low Income Energy Efficiency program.

The Cornerstone Improvement Program comprises a set of initiatives proposed by PG&E to decrease both the number and duration of electric outages by increasing the flexibility of the electrical grid. Major initiatives include increasing the capacity and interconnectivity of distribution lines and substations, implementing distribution automation on 1,200 circuits in urban and suburban areas, and installing 5,000 switching devices on rural circuits to reduce the number of customers affected by outages.