PG&E’s current rate of electric-line replacement falls far short of what’s needed to prevent a surge of failures due to the effects of aging, according to the analysis by researchers at Georgia Tech. The analysis suggests the current focus on upgrading distribution lines in areas of extreme fire risk fails to solve a more basic problem of age-related deterioration, especially in coastal areas where gear often ages faster. The analysis was released by regulators to The Wall Street Journal in a public records request. If electric-wire replacement continues at the rate currently proposed by the utility, PG&E customers should expect a doubling of sustained power outages in 15 years and a fourfold increase in 30 years, according to the analysis by the National Electric Testing, Research and Applications Center at Georgia Tech, which did the analysis for PG&E last year. To prevent this outcome, the utility would need to […]