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They pretty much refused to invest in and install any forward looking technologies (microgrid tech, tech to quickly cut off power to damaged lines, battery stor
by jartelt 7y ago
They pretty much refused to invest in and install any forward looking technologies (microgrid tech, tech to quickly cut off power to damaged lines, battery storage, more distributed generation, more switches to help isolate parts of the grid, etc.). They just wanted to continue building new natural gas plants and to fight against distributed solar.
They could have spent the last 20 years working to make the grid for nimble, flexible, and safe. They also could have actually done the tree trimming they were supposed to do. Instead they slow walked all innovation and are now scrambling to make up for it.
- rayiner 7y ago> They just wanted to continue building new natural gas plants and to fight against distributed solar. Money for generation is an entirely different bucket of money recovered through an entirely different regulatory regime than money for distribution. As to slow walking stuff like battery storage, why would they? PG&E earns a return on invested capital. Investing billions in batteries means more money for them.
- jartelt 7y agoI am talking about investing in battery installations for grid services (i.e. buying and building battery installations) instead of building natural gas peaker plants or building other more tradition infrastructure. I am not saying they should have made equity investments in battery startups. I don't see a reason why they couldn't rate base and make a return on battery installs. Instead they only wanted to building the same stuff they always built (more power plants and more transmission).