Pacific Gas & Electric is increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to refine the accuracy of weather models as it forecasts an above average risk in the wildfire season.
The utility has issued Public Safety Power Shutoffs since 2018 to cut power in portions of its service area, often affecting thousands of customers, to prevent its equipment from sparking wildfires during severe, dry wind conditions.
An AI prediction model uses historical data and machine learning algorithms to increase the accuracy of the company’s predictions, PG&E Chief Meteorologist Scott Strenfel said Friday.
The company is preparing for “above normal” fire potential into September, Strenfel said, citing the outlook from the National Interagency Fire Center, which coordinates wildland fire data.
The NIFC study predicts increased flammability in Northern California due to an early growing season that produced abundant vegetation in the region, poor snowpack that will create dry fire fuels and a combination of heat, wind and lightning events.
This fire potential is expected to build on a fire season that has already been above average in California, with Cal Fire reporting 2,854 wildfires that have consumed almost 80,000 acres so far this year.
Strenfel said the number of fires is lower than this time last year, but they have burned roughly 20,000 acres more than the five-year average.
Artificial intelligence is allowing the company to improve the accuracy of its predictive weather models, he said, increasing PG&E’s confidence in its ability to prevent fires.
Every time the company rolls out a new model, he said, “we start right back at the beginning and think about what new tools, what new technology can we bring to eke out even more performance?”
“And every time we get better, get more accurate at forecasting the weather, well that makes the PSPS events more precise and just a better experience for everyone.”
Will AI evaluate last maintenance performed on transmission lines versus
known useful life of components and last close up examination of condition
of those parts ? ? ? ?
.
Will AI be making decisions on transmission line maintenance ? ? ? ?
Balancing What they mean vs. What they pitch………
What they pitch: We’re looking out for you, and thankfully Big Tech’s AI is helping.
What they mean: AI consumes a lot of power, and PG&E is building out huge new and revamped power facilities to help Big Tech have all the Data Center power they need~~to help prevent fires.
Below the line Balance: We are going to increase your Elec Rates to a level you can’t imagine.
You have to pay for Big Tech’s Data Center AND the Power it consumes AND our sparkly new
Power Plants!
AI will recommend raising the rates…. I think they should dump all that AI hocus pocus and go back to the tried & true Magic 8 Ball for all the answers.
What’s the difference between these weather models and meteorlogic reports we get from local news?
How does AI make it better?
I’ll give it until July 20th before the high temps start up. The weather is being manipulated for the Whirled Cup.
Wonder how many times they had to run the model before the AI stopped identifying deferred matianence and corruption as primary fire risks?
Check this out.
https://cameras.alertcalifornia.org/?pos=37.2382_-119.0000_6