Helping to further reduce wildfire risk


PG&E is evolving its wildfire prevention efforts for the safety of our customers and communities. This includes Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS). 



Watch informative videos on EPSS

How it works


  • EPSS are advanced safety settings.
  • These settings allow our powerlines to automatically turn off power within one-tenth of a second.
  • This can occur when there is a hazard, like a tree branch falling into a powerline.

An infographic depicting how power is turned off if an object strikes a powerline or a fault occurs. The text reads: To help prevent wildfires during this hot and dry season, we have adjusted the settings on some of our equipment to automatically turn off power more quickly if the system detects a problem.; When an object strikes the line or a fault occurs, the equipment will detect the change in current and shut off power within one-tenth of a second.; We check the lines for damage before safely restoring power. This process can take several hours, depending on terrain.; Patrols are done by helicopter, truck or on foot during daylight hours.
For illustrative purposes only. Graphic is not to scale.

Increased safety


  • These settings are in place in high fire-risk areas and some adjacent regions.
  • These settings are a proven wildfire prevention tool. In 2022, there was a 68% reduction in ignitions on EPSS-enabled powerlines.*
  • By stopping ignitions, we help prevent wildfires from starting and spreading.
  • If ignitions occur, the size of fires are much smaller thanks to EPSS. In 2022, there was a 99% decrease in acres impacted by ignitions, despite dry conditions.**

* CPUC-reportable ignitions in High Fire-Threat Districts on distribution powerlines (compared to the weather-normalized 2018-2020 average).
** As measured by fire size from electric distribution equipment (compared to the 2018-2020 average).



What to expect


  • These more-sensitive settings will be turned on when there is an increased wildfire risk. This is most likely from May to November, but wildfire risk may exist year-round in some areas.
  • EPSS will help keep you safe, but you may experience unexpected power outages.
  • We conduct a daily analysis to determine wildfire risk and if safety settings are needed to protect customers. If conditions do not meet the need, EPSS is turned off. This helps to prevent unnecessary outages.
  • We do not expect these settings to impact customer bills.


Outage causes


  • Unexpected outages can happen for multiple reasons. This includes a branch hitting a powerline.
  • This could cause an outage on any powerline, including those without safety settings. EPSS-enabled powerlines help prevent wildfires by turning off power quicker.
  • In some cases, we may not be able to determine the cause of an outage.
  • Undetermined causes could be the result of something, like a branch or an animal, that contacted the powerline. Sometimes these hazards are no longer visible when our crews patrol to restore power.


Customer support


We understand how disruptive it is for customers to lose power. That is why we are working hard to support our customers and communities and reduce the impact of outages. These efforts include providing:




Additional safety measures


These adjustments are just some of the safety enhancements PG&E has put in place. Other efforts include:




Watch our videos on Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings

Our commitment to your safety

Wildfire Safety Outages – Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS)

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Wildfire Safety Outages – Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS)

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Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings

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Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings

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