by Mat Dirjish

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) unveils what it’s claiming is a first-of-its-kind continuous monitoring center (CMC) that has helped prevent 17 wildfires and 1,000+ power outages. Located in San Ramon, CA, the CMC promises to strengthen grid safety, speed emergency responses, and save customers money.

The unique monitoring hub unites people, data, and machine learning from tens of thousands of sensors installed across PG&E’s electric grid, plus data from its smart meter network consisting of approximately 5.5 million meters. By continuously analyzing data, personnel can identify emerging issues and dispatch crews to take action before they escalate into wildfires or outages.

According to PG&E, its continuous monitoring capabilities delivered measurable results in 2025 that include:

• Intercepted 17 potential ignitions in high fire-risk areas.
• Avoided 12 million minutes of unplanned customer outages.
• Reduced emergency outage response time by 2,620 hours.
• Saved approximately $6 million in operational costs.

Building on these results, PG&E fashioned the CMC into a single, integrated operation that fast analysis, strong coordination, and reliable proactive risk detection. It analyzes data from multiple technologies deployed across PG&E’s systems including: 

• Early fault-detection sensors: radiofrequency (RF) monitoring that identifies partial discharge, arcing, and insulation breakdown across 900 circuit miles in high fire-risk areas.
• GridScope devices that pinpoint the location and nature of issues across 1,350+ circuit miles in high fire-risk areas allowing for quick response and remediation.
• Downed conductor detection that enables fast identification of the location and cause of disturbances across 1,350+ circuit miles, thereby supporting quicker responses and repairs.
• SmartDetect uses SmartMeter data and machine learning to monitor grid performance and identify patterns and anomalies that may indicate emerging risks.
• Distribution fault anticipation sensors identify small system disturbances across 8,900+ circuit miles that enable proactive maintenance to prevent outages or risks before they occur.
• Line sensors detect changes in electric current patterns that help crews locate issues faster and determine root causes for more effective repairs across 19,000+ circuit miles.
• Grid Data Analytics & Technology Platform that integrates incoming sensor and outage data across PG&E’s electric grid into a single system to help identify trends, prioritize preventative work, and enable faster decision-making.

For greater insights, peruse the PG&E Continuous Monitoring Center overview.

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