California\u2019s largest utility is bankrupt as a result of its liability for starting some of California\u2019s largest and deadliest wildfires. Now the utility, its shareholders and investors, and the state itself are trying to figure out how to reorganize the company, manage its wildfire risk, and the pay for its future liabilities in an era of a warming climate and enduring droughts. But that\u2019s just where this story starts, not where it ends. In reality, all of the state\u2019s utilities need a backstop for their wildfire liabilities, and de-energizing transmission lines isn\u2019t the only solution. In fact, these questions go beyond the borders of a single state, and touch on a host of deeper issues, including insurance underwriting rules, building and planning and zoning rules, and even how the grid itself will be operated. And it turns out that many of the same solutions that help us in the energy transition can also help us mitigate the risks of wildfires, and adapt to our new climate reality. We are fortunate to have Michael Wara as our guest in this episode\u2014a bona fide expert on the subject who is a member of the state-appointed wildfire commission in California\u2014to help us think through this complex web of issues and understand how to start plotting a new path into the future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The energy transition provides some of the answers to wildfire risk, including how utilities deal with their own culpability. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[111],"tags":[516,107,741,97,291,739,738,737,80,740,690,64,232,174,736],"class_list":["post-2598","xen_episodes","type-xen_episodes","status-publish","hentry","category-energy-transition-show-podcasts","tag-california","tag-climate-change","tag-de-energizing","tag-ders","tag-insurance","tag-inverse-condemnation","tag-liability","tag-michael-wara","tag-microgrids","tag-paradise","tag-pge","tag-solar","tag-transmission","tag-utilities","tag-wildfire","xen_guests-michael-wara"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n