Swedish Neutral has pioneered what is arguably one of the most effective technologies for mitigating the risk of wildfires caused by powerlines: the Ground Fault Neutralizer (GFN). Some of the most devastating wildfires of the 21st century can be attributed to distribution powerlines. A practical approach to mitigate the ignition risk would involve transforming exposed conductors into insulated cables and placing powerlines underground. However, the associated expense of approximately $3M per mile of conductor — an economic burden too substantial for electric utility providers to bear. An alternative strategy involves substituting exposed overhead wires with covered conductors. Given the considerable cost of approximately $1-1.5M per mile, this solution does not offer a consistently reliable outcome. Costing just a fraction of the expense incurred by approaches above, the Ground Fault Neutralizer (GFN) system delivers robust results. As affirmed in the Functional Performance Report and Cost-Benefit Analysis published in 2020 by Victoria's Energy Safety Regulator (ESV), the comprehensive evaluation confirms that the operational performance of the deployed GFN systems aligns with expectations concerning bushfire risk mitigation. In certain cases, these installed GFNs have even surpassed expectations by effectively addressing more intricate faults and thereby diminishing the risk of bushfires. In addition to wildfire risk mitigation advantages, the GFN significantly increases reliability - obviates the necessity for Public Safety Power Shutoffs; and public safety (risk of electrocution) of energy distribution assets. Speaker(s): Viacheslav Levashov, , Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/409260

IEEE President Tom Coughlin will share his goals and objectives and Joseph Wei will present how Region 6 will support Tom in achieving his goals. This will be an interactive session where Tom and Joseph will take questions and feedback from the audience on how IEEE can better serve its members in the Bay area and around the world. [] Reference: https://techblog.comsoc.org/2024/02/05/ieee-presidents-priorities-and-strategic-direction-for-2024/ Speaker(s): Tom Coughlin, Joseph Wei, Alan Weissberger Agenda: 5:00 - 5:30pm Registration and networking 5:30 - 7:00pm Opening statements by Tom Coughlin and Joseph Wei, followed by a discussion about IEEE key issues and initiatives, moderated by Alan Weissberger 7:00 - 7:25pm Audience Q & A 7:25 - 7:30pm Closing remarks and thanks from the participants Room: Room SCDI 1302 & 1308, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, California, United States, 95053

IEEE President Tom Coughlin will share his goals and objectives and Joseph Wei will present how Region 6 will support Tom in achieving his goals. This will be an interactive session where Tom and Joseph will take questions and feedback from the audience on how IEEE can better serve its members in the Bay area and around the world. [] Reference: https://techblog.comsoc.org/2024/02/05/ieee-presidents-priorities-and-strategic-direction-for-2024/ Speaker(s): Tom Coughlin, Joseph Wei, Alan Weissberger Agenda: 5:00 - 5:30pm Registration and networking 5:30 - 7:00pm Opening statements by Tom Coughlin and Joseph Wei, followed by a discussion about IEEE key issues and initiatives, moderated by Alan Weissberger 7:00 - 7:25pm Audience Q & A 7:25 - 7:30pm Closing remarks and thanks from the participants Room: Room SCDI 1302 & 1308, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, California, United States, 95053