SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
In response to California’s ongoing tree mortality crisis and increased
wildfire threat, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is working with
local communities and power generators to dispose of dead tree debris
and turn it into renewable energy. PG&E is operating sorting and
chipping yards in eight counties hard hit by tree mortality to prepare
the dead tree debris for use in biomass generation facilities. The two
newest sites recently opened in Placer and Nevada counties.
“It’s a unique opportunity to help our communities and our customers,
and demonstrate our commitment to clean energy. By removing this fuel,
we’re helping people to protect their homes, and enabling firefighters
access to their property and homes in the event of a wildfire,” said
Kevin Dasso, PG&E vice president of Electric Asset Management.
PG&E is offering free dead tree clean-up assistance to customers with
trees felled by PG&E to protect power lines in ten counties which have
declared tree mortality emergencies. The company is hauling dead tree
debris to sorting and chipping yards established in Fresno, Madera,
Tuolumne, Calaveras, Amador, El Dorado, Placer and Nevada counties.
In 2016, PG&E removed about 236,000 dead or dying trees and delivered
about 56,000 tons of dead tree debris to end-use facilities. So far in
2017, the company has removed 57,000 trees and delivered 52,000 tons of
dead tree debris. PG&E crews and its contractors are actively removing
dead and dying trees and managing wood debris.
PG&E’s contractor, Phillips and Jordan, processes the debris into
woodchips and delivers the chips for electricity generation to biomass
facilities in Fresno, Sonora and Lincoln. In an agreement authorized by
the California Public Utilities Commission, PG&E pays a contract price
for the electricity that is below what it would expect to pay for
replacement power.
The energy company’s dead tree clean-up program is part of its
comprehensive response to tree mortality in the state. The U.S.
Forest Service announced late last year that the total number of
dead trees in California has reached 102 million on 7.7 million acres.
Customers can learn more about managing trees near powerlines at pge.com/trees.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas
and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San
Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of
the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and
Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/
and www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.
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View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170503005067/en/
Source: Pacific Gas and Electric Company