Western Railroad Discussion > Berkshire Hathaway's $128.1 Billion Cash Reserve

See My Post On the Eastern Board - ALLEN
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,4895218,4895218#msg-4895218
 

California's Governor Newsome expressed some interest (wishful thinking)  this week in having Warren Buffet's firm buy our troubled electric and gas company, PG&E. I personally think Mr. Buffet has more sense than that, but his firm obviously has plenty of cash.

TJY

Hey Apple has similar cash and is a PG&E power user, they might consider buying such a worthy purchase.

Out

The Governor seems to think that new owners will fix PG&E. Good luck on that...

It's OK.  FEMA will send the power crews they hired to rebuild the grid in Puerto Rico, and PG&E will be good as new.

radar Wrote:
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> It's OK.  FEMA will send the power crews they
> hired to rebuild the grid in Puerto Rico, and PG&E
> will be good as new.

Oh PG&E has the crews. They just need management to let them maintain the system.
There always seems to be a "no money in the budget" problem.

With a current wind standard for the utilities in California of 56mph! It’s going to take more money than what’s allocated in the rates to beef the system up for the new normal for winds. To underground the wires will cost upwards of $3,000,000 a mile. In some areas to serve 1-5 homes per mile. On line, the estimated costs to underground in urban areas at $200,000,000. (Yes billion)

Valleyman

They can take the $$$ that they saved from HSR to upgrade the grid. ;^)

BB

Valleyman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> With a current wind standard for the utilities in
> California of 56mph! It’s going to take more
> money than what’s allocated in the rates to beef
> the system up for the new normal for winds. To
> underground the wires will cost upwards of
> $3,000,000 a mile. In some areas to serve 1-5
> homes per mile. On line, the estimated costs to
> underground in urban areas at $200,000,000. (Yes
> billion)
>
> Valleyman

is california spending enough on controlled burns and fire breaks around densely populated areas?

66



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/02/19 18:56 by goneon66.

200 billion is 200,000,000,000 and is California spending ANYTHING on fire prevention?

Out

More and more and more people want to live in the "urban-wildland" interface areas (i.e. pine forests), with county and city governments all too happy to approve the subdivisions and pocket the development fees.  Fire?  Did they even think about it?  Well, now they are.

Honestly, you can blame PGE for much of this disaster, but I'm amazed that no one ever blames the APPROVING government agencies!  Sue them!!

With government agencies approving the homes, PGE had to provide power.  But because they're a private firm, they get nailed.  They can't take all the blame here.  At the same time, PGE needs a total house cleaning with very, very strong soap...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/02/19 19:28 by coach.

Does California allow the power utilities to trim trees and brush away from their powerlines?  Dan

They allow it and insist on it.  PGE didn't always do it, but instead gave Executive bonuses.  Well covered in the local press (all the more reason to support your local paper...).

Fifty years ago, the City of L.A.,  Building & Safety Dept.  routinely denied permits to build on hillside slide areas.  Invariably they were challenged in court and lost.   Later, there would be a slide and the homeowner would sue for their loss,  blaming the city for allowing the house to be built and/or not providing proper drainage.  City tended to lose these cases too,  or would settle out of court at the behest of the councilmember in that particular district (anyone on here old enough to remember 3rd District councilman Tom Shepard?).  Go figure.   To me, owners in these areas should not be able to get any kind of fire insurance at any price.  Ditto for such new developments.  You build/buy there, you're on your own.  If it burns down, tough petooties.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/03/19 05:51 by utwazoo.

radar Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's OK.  FEMA will send the power crews they
> hired to rebuild the grid in Puerto Rico, and PG&E
> will be good as new.

Place was a hole when it happened so how do you think it can be fixed quick? They sucked all the cash out of PR before the storm and never fixed anything so don't put the blame on the power crews as there were poor roads and other problems that couldn't be just magically fixed like you think CA power has similar problems and sending in FEMA to do it with other states tax money is wrong. CA governor needs to get there power problems fixed internally along with some others due to his and the previous ones lack of incentive. They are more worried about illegals and homeless people than fixing there infrastructure problems.  The fire problem is not Trump caused its there own doing by not taking care of brush and the way there homes are landscaped with shrubs growing against there houses.

The availability of home insurance is becoming an issue in parts of northern CA.

Developers in coastal areas are seeing similar concerns.

Insurance is supposed to price the risk. Not line up for bailouts.

Posted from Android

1) PG and E is mandated by law to trim brushand tress from around thier power lines..
  My question is why has this not been enforced?
  Where is the public Utilities commission?
  There are Companies that are much more wind prone than PG and E. Examples Surprise Valley Electric, Plumas Rural Eclectic and many others that do not have these shut down problems.
  What I find scary Is BART and Some Trains in the Bay Area depend on Electricity to operate.
The Men and Women of PG and E in the Field are hard working people that need support in terms of logistics to keep the system in operation.
Preventive maintenance needs done.
Dan
 

Yes they, the CPU requires it! However, tell a home owner with a 200’ tree on there property that you need to cut or remove there tree. Those usually wind up in litigation which takes time. Also, the requirement for clearing brush, shrubs and trees under power lines is only about 25’ wide. Now picture a 100’ or taller tree 50’ away. When it falls it falls onto power lines, fire. Or if a 70’ wire span breaks and swings 40’ feet to the side instead of straight down in the cleared section. 

Valleyman


dt8089 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does California allow the power utilities to trim
> trees and brush away from their powerlines?  Dan

Boy, has this thread been hyjacked...

In the "fire wars", there is plenty of blame to go around everywhere.  PG&E with vew bloated salaries,   Ppl building houses in diseaster prone areas. The PG&E "tree trimming program" is a payoff/kickback program for tree trimming industry.  

Fact is, wires will break in 70+ mph winds, anywhere in this country.    Has no one here ever been in a storm in the midwest and seen fireballs from explading transformers on poles?   It happens every year.    Only difference is that here in CA we have a lot of fire fuel.   I dont want my house to burn down, but if it does, I'm not going to go on TV and cry like a baby. like this was some unknown thing that could never happen, and then sue everyone in sight.

Gov Newsome means well, but his understanding of science, physics, or anything mechanical, is ZERO.   He things we can legislate problems away.

"More and more and more people want to live in the "urban-wildland" interface areas (i.e. pine forests)

I live in that sort of area.  The difference is that I know the risk and you will not see me crying on TV about my stuff burning up.  I am willing to accept the risk because I like the ambience of the area where I live.