A series of important projects to reduce the duration and size of power outages has boosted electric reliability in Pleasanton. And one important customer, Mayor Jack Balch, has seen the positive results.

Since October of last year, nearly a dozen reliability projects have taken place all around Pleasanton, with the latest one completed earlier this month. These efforts are designed to benefit thousands of local customers by making outages less frequent, shorter and smaller.

“We talked to PG&E senior leadership about why we needed this area to have a renewed focus and investment, and I appreciate that they've heard our concerns and have accelerated,” Balch said. “The original capital improvement plan was a three-to-five-year plan, and now we're in year one or two of it. We really appreciate the responsiveness of PG&E.”

The goal of these reliability projects is simple: strengthen Pleasanton’s electric reliability. By investing in new, more technologically advanced equipment, PG&E is working hard to continue to improve how the electric system performs, even during storms or unexpected events.

“We've heard a lot of feedback and concerns from customers about reliability performance over the last few years and we put together a plan. We made a commitment to the city of Pleasanton to improve local reliability, and we're taking action to follow through on that commitment,” said Jake Zigelman, PG&E Vice President of the Bay Area Region. 

The most recent work, a switch replacement, is one example of these improvements. The switch replacement provides better system visibility for operators in PG&E’s Distribution Control Centers. When an issue occurs, the new switches allow operators to isolate the trouble area faster and restore service to customers sooner. 

The new device will allow field personnel to safely switch customers during an outage without de-energizing additional customers. This improvement means fewer customers may experience outages. 

The most recent project follows other reliability efforts already completed in Pleasanton. Underground work has strengthened cables and connections below the surface, protecting them from weather and wear. Pole replacements have updated older equipment, making the system sturdier and more dependable. Each project adds another layer of reliability to the community’s power supply.

“Our crews have been doing an excellent job working together safely and efficiently. These ongoing reliability projects, balanced with emergency response and other planned work, gives our crews the opportunity to focus on our hometown of Pleasanton. Having 11 jobs in such a short period of time provides an immediate benefit to the community,” said John Barber, Electric Superintendent for PG&E's Mission Division. “It makes me feel proud to be part of this team.”

The team is committed to continuing these improvements with the same focus on safety, service and customer satisfaction. By working together and investing in Pleasanton’s electric infrastructure, PG&E is helping build a safer, stronger and more resilient community for everyone.

As Balch noted, “It’s very rewarding to see the full circle of PG&E's investment in our community.”