Work Truck Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

PG&E Preps for Winter Storms

Pacific Gas & Electric (Calif.) is preparing its fleet to better respond to storm damage with more accurate weather predictions, fleet upgrades, and improved communications.

by Staff
December 3, 2016
PG&E Preps for Winter Storms

Photo via Flickr/Jake Stimpson

1 min to read


Photo via Flickr/Jake Stimpson

Pacific Gas & Electric (Calif.) is preparing its fleet to better respond to storm damage with more accurate weather predictions, fleet upgrades, and improved communications.

The San Francisco-based utility employs a storm outage prediction model that compares 20 years of historical weather and outage data to real-time weather updates, the company announced in a release. The model allows PG&E to determine where to keep crews on standby for heavy storm activity.

Ad Loading...

PG&E is upgrading its mobile command vehicles, which are used in emergency-response and equipped with high-tech communication and mapping features. These upgrades will give the vehicles improved satellite data capabilities. Microwave trailers with 85-foot telescoping towers have also been added to the fleet, allowing incident-command staff to manage the storm response via PG&E’s telecommunications networks.

In addition, the utility has increased its inventory of mobile generators and plans to set up smaller base camps to launch restoration work to nearby areas. This is the first time the utility has used these sites for storm efforts. Previously, they were used to combat wildfires in 2015 and 2016.

Some parts of PG&E’s service area have already begun experiencing these seasonal changes. Eureka, Calif. experienced its wettest October since 1950, the second wettest since recordkeeping began in 1896.

More Utility Fleet

Work Truck “Trucks, Tips & Tours” thumbnail featuring two Terex Utilities representatives beside a Terex TRX Series bucket truck, with the headline “Introducing the TRX Series” and subhead “New from Terex Utilities.”
Utility Fleetby Wayne ParhamJune 30, 2026

Inside Terex Utilities' Latest Work Truck Innovations

Terex Utilities is advancing utility fleet operations with its new TRX aerial platforms, Flex Pro controls, and AI-powered 3rd Eye safety technology. See how these innovations are helping fleets work safer, smarter, and more productively.

Read More →
Promotional graphic for a Utilimarc guide titled Beyond Utilization Rates: How Data-Driven Fleets Are Rethinking Vehicle Replacement, featuring a report cover with fleet vehicles, key benefits, and a call-to-action to download the guide.
SponsoredJune 26, 2026

Beyond Utilization Rates: Smarter Fleet Replacement Decisions

Vehicle replacement decisions affect every aspect of fleet performance, from operating costs to asset availability. This guide explores how fleet leaders use integrated data, benchmarking, and lifecycle analytics to determine the right fleet size and optimize replacement timing with greater confidence.

Read More →
Promotional thumbnail for a Work Truck “Trucks, Tips & Tours” video featuring an International MV607 medium-duty truck and a presenter. Large text reads “MV607 Built to Work,” with a Truck Chat “Watch Now” callout.
Utility Fleetby Wayne ParhamJune 22, 2026

Walkaround of International MV607 Digger Derrick

The International MV607 combines advanced safety technologies, excellent visibility, vocational flexibility, and seamless body integration to create a powerful platform for utility fleet operations. Take a closer look at this Altec digger derrick configuration from EUFMC.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Promotional graphic for a Work Truck “Trucks, Tips & Tours” video featuring a utility bucket truck, an industry representative, and EUFMC branding, with text reading “Powering Communities” and “What Is EUFMC?” plus a Truck Chat watch prompt.
Utility Fleetby Wayne ParhamJune 16, 2026

Inside the Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference

What is EUFMC? For more than seven decades, the Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference has served as a hub for collaboration, education, and innovation within the utility fleet industry. In this video, Work Truck talks to EUFMC President Greg Loew to learn more.

Read More →
Promotional graphic for a Work Truck “Trucks, Tips & Tours” video featuring utility vehicles at EUFMC, including a tracked utility machine, bucket truck, crane-equipped truck, and service vehicles, with “Truck Chat” branding and a watch-now button.
Utility Fleetby Wayne ParhamJune 9, 2026

Inside the EUFMC Equipment Expo & Drive-Through

Follow Work Truck as we check out the trucks and other vehicles that were showcased at the Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia. Whether looking for something on tires or treads, it was there for fleet managers to see.

Read More →
White Kiley utility truck equipped with a Terex aerial lift parked outside an industrial building. The truck features patriotic red, white, and blue graphics, including an American flag design and “250” anniversary emblems on the body and boom.
Utility FleetJune 2, 2026

Terex Utilities & Kiley Unveil Custom America 250 Bucket Trucks at EUFMC 2026

Terex Utilities showcased a patriotic spirit in its booth this week during the Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia, by debuting two custom-wrapped bucket trucks celebrating America’s upcoming 250th anniversary.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Image promoting the Anterix Active Ecosystem with 900 MHz connectivity for utility work in remote areas. The image features power transmission lines at sunset alongside a rugged Panasonic Toughbook laptop displaying a Windows interface.
Utility FleetMay 19, 2026

Panasonic Connect & Anterix Strengthen Connectivity Options for Utilities and Field Workers

The Panasonic Connect Toughbook 56 is the first Toughbook to earn the AnterixActive badge, which means it can connect to and operate on Anterix’s 900 MHz network even in the most remote locations.

Read More →
Cover of a whitepaper titled “The Hidden Costs of Departmentally Assigned Vehicles on Your Fleet” featuring a black fleet vehicle driving on a road at sunset. Subheadline reads: “Discover how your fleet can reduce costs and minimize risk by implementing vehicle sharing.” The document focuses on fleet optimization, vehicle sharing, cost reduction, utilization tracking, and risk management for fleet operations.
SponsoredMay 13, 2026

Why Fleet Managers Are Replacing Departmental Vehicles with Shared Motor Pools

Departmentally assigned vehicles often create hidden costs through underutilization, poor visibility, and increased administrative burden. This white paper explores how shared motor pool strategies help fleets reduce costs, improve accountability, and optimize vehicle utilization.

Read More →
Large orange handheld searchlight and an area light on a tripod against a blue background and a Streamlight logo.
Utility FleetApril 24, 2026

Streamlight Launches Portable Scene Light III & LiteBox 1Million

Streamlight has launched its Portable Scene Light III (PSL III), which delivers up to 10,000 lumens, and the LiteBox 1Million, a long-range search light that delivers one million candela.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Photo of a utility worker in bucket truck working on powerlines against a blue sky and inset logo for EUFMC.
Utility Fleetby News/Media ReleaseApril 14, 2026

EUFMC 2026 Matches Fleet Registration Record

EUFMC 2026 registration has surpassed last year’s fleet registration record, and the event will deliver a variety of topics during its educational program, Driving Safety, Sustainability & Technical Expertise.

Read More →