PG&E Announces Projects to Increase SoHum Capacity

Nearly one year after capacity issues impacting PG&E’s ability to provide service to new customers from Fortuna to the Mendocino County border came to light, PG&E announced a pilot project on July 10 that could allow the utility to begin providing some new hookups in the Southern Humboldt area by the end of next year.

According to a news release, the project would utilize three Tesla Megapack batteries “to control voltage on an extended distribution line in rural Southern Humboldt.”

PG&E emphasized the “proposed solu- tion” was a pilot project that will require testing.

“PG&E will take a conservative approach to installing the system, testing it thoroughly and proving it can provide the increased capacity as designed prior to connecting customers,” the release states.

Construction is slated to begin next year. Meanwhile, PG&E states it is also working on upgrades at the Garberville substation.

“The new battery system, along with the upgrades, could enable PG&E to begin serving some new customers by the end of 2024 and the remaining new business appli- cations starting in 2027,” the release states.

“We understand the real-world impacts that capacity constraints can have on our customers. This creative solution, in addition to the work we have already committed to, will help meet these capacity needs,” Vice President of PG&E’s North Coast Region Ron Richardson said in a news release.

For the Eel River Valley, PG&E states transmission, distribution and substation capacity upgrades are slated to be completed by the end of 2024.

“Additionally, planned system upgrades from Bridgeville to Alderpoint were approved to enable new business customers in that area to be in service by end of year 2026,” the PG&E release states. “We identified transmission projects into Garberville that have since been approved by the CAISO, and incremental projects at the Garberville Substation that will increase capacity and ensure that new loads near the substation like the upcoming hospital upgrade can be served.”

Those projects, according to PG&E, are currently on track.

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