Southern California Edison criticized for 2020 power shutoffs during fire conditions

Jan. 28—A state organization has asked the California Public Utilities Commission to formally investigate Southern California Edison for what is being described as "failures" related to power shutoffs the company carried out last year.

A member of the Commission's Public Advocates Office — which operates independently and on behalf of ratepayers — said an investigation would allow "the Commission and stakeholders to examine why SCE failed to properly notify tens of thousands of customers, including first responders, medical baseline customers, and critical facilities such as hospitals and fire departments."

"It allows us to look at the accuracy of SCE's weather forecasts and just where SCE has spent the money it receives from its customers to reduce the risk that its facilities will cause wildfires," Nathaniel Skinner, the Public Advocates Office's program manager said during a CPUC hearing Tuesday. "Furthermore, SCE failed to justify why it chose to de-energize, and did not demonstrate any attempt to calculate the harm it imposed on its customers."

Known as a Public Safety Power Shutoff, or PSPS, a power company will de-energize lines during dangerous fire conditions.

According to the CPUC, although electrical equipment has only been historically responsible for less than 10% of reported wildfires, those sparked by power lines make up half of the most destructive fires in California's history.

In 2018, the Camp Fire — ignited by a faulty Pacific Gas and Electric Company line — killed more than 80 people and destroyed most of the towns of Paradise and Concow.

Edison, meanwhile, agreed to pay a $2.2 billion on Monday to settle insurance claims from the 2018 Woolsey Fire, a blaze reportedly sparked by the company's equipment, and which killed three people and destroyed more than 1,600 buildings, the Associated Press reported.

Edison's PSPS policy has received criticism from state power officials, however, for an alleged lack of communication to customers and government officials in notifying of a shutoff, as well as a lack of transparency in the decision-making process.

The CPUC held a hearing with Edison on Tuesday to address concerns they outlined in a Jan. 19 letter that also claimed quality was lacking in post-shutoff reports and identifying and notifying customers dependent on electrically powered medical equipment.

"Every time the utility shuts off the power it is trading off the safety and immediate well-being of its customers to mitigate risk of igniting a wildfire," said CPUC President Marybel Batjer. "That tradeoff is why shutoffs must be a measure of last resort and they must be executed safely and thoughtfully when they are called."

In a response letter, Edison CEO Kevin Payne wrote that the company "will work closely with the Commission to fully understand those concerns, foster a complete understanding of our PSPS practices, and take whatever actions are necessary to make further improvements."

He noted the company was operating in a "changing climate" that saw five of California's six largest wildfires taking place in 2020.

Five of California's 20 most destructive wildfires in the state's history also occurred last year, according to Cal Fire, which identified 2020 as the "largest wildfire season in California's modern history."

Payne wrote that Edison was getting better at executing PSPS events, which has resulted in shorter shutoff times and fewer interruptions for customers.

"We stand by the necessity to de-energize during these events, as we found eight instances in post-event patrols which could have ignited dangerous wildfires and, for the reasons mentioned earlier, we know that even more potential ignitions were likely avoided," he said in a Jan. 22 letter.

Edison performed 16 public safety shutoffs between May and December 2020, a majority of which occurred in November and December and during two major holidays, according to the CPUC.

One shutoff happened on Thanksgiving due to high winds and low humidities with Edison originally estimating that more than 106,000 people could be affected in several counties, the Daily Press reported.

In a post-shutoff report to the CPUC, the company said they ultimately de-energized a little more than 20,000 customers starting on Thanksgiving. Power was restored to all customers by Nov. 28.

The company said some customers in Kern, Orange and San Bernardino counties were not provided "imminent notification" of a shutoff until about seven hours later "due to a communication error."

On Tuesday, Batjer had harsher words for the company about their notices during shutoffs.

"Your notifications to your customers were confusing, at times contradictory and, overall, were poorly executed," she said. "These missteps cannot be repeated."

The CPUC requested that Edison submit a corrective action plan by Feb. 12 that details how the company intends to address the gaps asserted by the commission.

Daily Press reporter Martin Estacio may be reached at 760-955-5358 or MEstacio@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_mestacio.

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