On Oct. 3-4, CHA hosted its 2023 Disaster Planning Conference at the Sacramento Convention Center, which featured a keynote session from Natalie Johnson of management consulting firm ViDL Solutions on “Cultivating Energy in Our Modern World” and a general session from PG&E leadership staff on “Utility Response During Emergency Events.”
Natalie Johnson presented information on how people can practice resilience in their everyday lives by changing the negative stories they tell about themselves, as well as how:
- Emotional energy is our most precious resource.
- Good physical health is key to manifesting high-quality emotional energy (passion) and minimizing low-quality emotional energy (feeling overwhelmed).

Natalie Johnson, chief visionary officer of ViDL Solutions
PG&E leadership staff presented information on the various ways they prepare for potential emergency situations, such as:
- A company emergency response plan to prepare for various emergencies such as earthquakes, wildfires, public safety power shutoffs, etc.
- An incident command system management structure that allows greater cooperation between various regional and local entities during emergencies
- A hazard awareness and warning center to help mitigate hazards by providing early detection, warning, and response
PG&E is California’s largest utility, which has served 16 million people, has 5.5 million electric and 4.5 million gas customer accounts, and employs 23,000 people.
The presentation was followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience. For more information, a recording of the PG&E general session is available.