On December 19th, 2024 Brendan Realph and Tim Bedford from PG&E Operations visited the IBEW 1245 Union Hall to conduct a demonstration of some of the latest technological advances they are using in the field. The technology, Gridscope, supports utilities in pinpointing energy faults in real time, allowing faster repair and restoration of power for customers.
Brendan Realph from PG&E demonstrates the Gridscope monitoring system for the staff at the union hall in Vacaville, CA.
The demonstration was first presented at the PG&E Innovation Summit in San Jose, California in mid-November, 2024. Nearly 800 stakeholders, including IBEW 1245 senior staff, attended the conference. Participants explored strategies to achieve California’s clean energy future, the role of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) and other emerging technologies that aim to enhance affordable, reliable, and safe electricity and resilience in the face of climate change.
The Summit included a wide range of exhibits spotlighting technologies designed to make the grid more efficient. One of the technologies that caught the attention of 1245 staff was Gridscope. Designed by Gridware, a company based in Walnut Creek, CA, Gridscope is a device the size of an iPad. It is mounted on a pole and allows utilities to identify and locate faults in real time. The technology reduces time spent searching for faults, thus reducing customer outage minutes.
Tim Bedford from PG&E demonstrates the Gridscope monitoring system.
It is a preview of the technological advances changing the industry.
- Bob Gerstle, IBEW 1245 Sr. Assistant Business Manager, Pictures by John Storey