Did You Know? PG&E Undergrounding plus Downed Trees News

Groveland Slated for Underground Lines

After more than a year of pressure and demands for accountability from the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors, the Yosemite Chamber, private enterprise and the public, PG&E has put  Groveland on the front burner for undergrounding and Big Oak Flat for overhead hardening projects in 2025 in addition to stepped up vegetation management. PG&E representatives outlined progress against demands and gave an overview of the projected scope of work. 

Pine Mountain Lake and the overhead lines in the Tesla charging lot and along Ponderosa Lane downtown are targeted for 15 miles of undergrounding in 2025-26. PML residents have already received a PG&E mailer detailing the timeline. The focus in Big Oak Flat is on overhead wire hardening. Crews are already at work on Phase 1 (Scoping and Surveying). PG&E committed to providing the Board of Supervisors with a more detailed timeline and work plan by November 15.

The PG&E team also reviewed progress on vegetation management, which has helped decrease the number of outages by nearly 50% and the average outage time from five to three hours. Nathan Alonzo, public affairs representative to Tuolumne County, acknowledged the need for more accurate downtime forecasts which have a significant impact on our businesses who must make decisions about whether to close and send employees home because of the power outage. 

Alonzo also spoke of partnering with Tuolumne County Chamber of Commerce on providing discounted utilities rates for businesses in Economic Development areas like Tuolumne County. District 4 Supervisor Kathleen Haff, who led the effort to hold PG&E accountable, expressed her appreciation that PG&E has finally added “Reliability” to their original goal of “Safety” by understanding the devastating impact power outages have on our local economy. She also pressed Alonzo for a commitment that the downtown undergrounding project will be linked into the existing microgrid back-up system.

Groveland residents received a mailer from PG&E outlining the timeline for wildfire safety projects like those that are beginning locally.

What a difference action makes. Our Board of Supervisors are not letting up on the pressure, but the mood was more positive and the exchange with PG&E more like partners than adversaries. Time will tell as this Undergrounding Journey unfolds. There will be disruption along our streets as crews begin this vital work. PG&E is promising to keep us informed along the way and to continue to make progress against our common goals of a safe and reliable electricity supply. 

View the video of the October 15 Board of Supervisors meeting HERE. The PG&E segment begins at the 50 minute mark. 

Downed Trees?

PG&E only removes limbs less than 4” in diameter. The large pieces are the property of the homeowner.PG&E only removes limbs less than 4” in diameter. The large pieces are the property of the homeowner.

Has PG&E taken down trees on your property and left the big pieces behind? Don’t wait for someone to come along and take them away…that’s not going to happen. According to PG&E’s  local Vegetation Management representative, that downed tree is “property with value” (e.g., firewood) that belongs to the homeowner. PG&E crews are chartered to chip and remove all limbs less than 4” in diameter and “remove the large pieces to a safe place on the property.” 

A few years ago, Tuolumne County offered a program for removing those downed trees at no cost to the homeowner. That program no longer exists; County Administrator Tracie Riggs confirmed that there is no room in the County’s budget to offer such a service in the foreseeable future.