IE Power Safety Shutoffs Return As Officials Scramble For More Clarity

INLAND EMPIRE, CA — The Santa Ana winds returned Thursday morning across the Inland Empire. Residents from Southwest Riverside County through San Bernardino County saw their lights go out.

Currently, in the Inland Empire, over 36,000 residents are without power due to the Public Safety Power Shutoff program established for Southern California Edison customers. Nearly 180,000 residents could lose power during the current Santa Ana wind event.

Fire conditions were in full force across the region, with the driving winds expected to gust at speeds upwards of 40 miles per hour through 6 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. The Public Safety Power Shutoffs are Southern California Edison's answer to quelling wildfires in the region. Before closing power circuits to potentially affected areas, they notify residents, businesses, and city government officials that the power would go off and could remain off for at least eight hours, and possibly more.

Though few fires have ignited around the county in recent weeks, none has had the devastating effects as did the Pacific Palisades Fire or the Eaton Fire in Altadena in Los Angeles County, where thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed. On Tuesday, much of Temecula Valley Wine Country lost power, and tasting rooms shuttered. Thursday, more homes and businesses without power were scattered across the county, according to the latest shutoff map.

According to officials in the city of Murrieta, this is mainly due to the power shutoff in the name of public safety.

Thursday morning, many Murrieta-area residents experienced a power shutoff.

"At this point, it sounds like this is a fact of life by living here, best to invest in a generator or solar or move. I don’t see the fire danger or power outages ever going away," one resident shared in a social post.

Others questioned whether or not it was time to buy a generator or "go solar." Many residents discussed being "better prepared for the next time this happens. Power shutoffs seem to be a new way of life."

The city of Murrieta released this statement:

"Portions of Murrieta are experiencing a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) due to high winds and extreme fire danger," city officials told their residents. "Please remember that Southern California Edison (SCE) carefully makes these PSPS decisions to avoid catastrophic fires. These safety shutoffs are a measure of last resort for keeping our community safe."

That point was mirrored by San Bernardino County's Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe and Fourth District Supervisor Curt Hagman, who shared an open letter with the Mountain News discussing the now-familiar story of power outages in the Inland Empire.

"Over the past several days, we’ve heard from many concerned residents about Southern California Edison’s (SCE) power outages. Some of these outages drag on for more than a week and people are understandably frustrated, particularly our mountain communities, who rely on electricity to stay warm during these cold winter months. The outages are exceptionally harsh on our seniors. Unfortunately, the county has no control over these events due to current state-imposed regulations and that give local jurisdictions zero control over energy resources during such circumstances," they wrote.

"It’s clear that there are many issues with how SCE has managed this wind event. Many residents who live well outside the fire-prone areas are experiencing lengthy outages," they said. "In many instances, SCE has had little communication with its customers about when power will be restored. The lack of useful information by SCE has been alarming. SCE needs to have greater flexibility built into their circuits to minimize the number of customers who are impacted. In addition, the State of California continues its premature push for full electrification, which will only amplify the problem. The state needs to realize the impact of its policies on our communities and take action to ensure that what happened during this wind event does not become a new standard in our county."

While they acquiesced that the high winds strain energy infrastructure and increased fire danger, they promise to keep asking SCE questions about needing "greater flexibility in their circuits" to minimize the number of people impacted by the power shutoffs.

"In addition, the State of California continues its premature push for full electrification, which will only amplify the problem," they wrote. "The state needs to realize the impact of its policies on our communities and take action to ensure that what happened during this wind event does not become a new standard in our county."

To prepare for future events, Rowe suggested each resident prepare for potential outages by keeping emergency supplies on hand.

While advocating for reform at the local level, they also suggest that residents share their complaints or concerns at the state level. "The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) regulates utility providers such as SCE, and it is important that they hear feedback from residents who have been harmed by these power outages. Complaints and concerns about SCE can be filed with the CPUC here: www.cpuc.ca.gov. Since the state oversees Edison, we also encourage you to engage your state representatives on this matter. It is important that our legislators realize the severity of the situation and how these state regulations are failing our communities."

So Cal Edsion says that "when fire conditions end, restoration is expected to take up to 8 hours but could take longer if we need daylight for safe inspections or if we find damage." Each circuit is unique, and just because an area says it has the potential for shutoff does not mean every address within that circuit will have no power, an SCE spokesperson told Patch.

Murrieta officials remain watchful, reminding residents they would be communicating with SCE and monitoring any changes. "In addition, we are aware that other portions of the City remain under PSPS warnings. We continue to monitor the situation."

Having the power out also affects many traffic signals, many either flashing red or completely without power. "Please remember that intersections with flashing traffic signals are treated like intersections with stop signs," the city said.

Meanwhile, San Bernardino County Supervisors shared a special note regarding food safety.

Complaints and concerns about SCE can be filed with the CPUC here: www.cpuc.ca.gov.

Check your power outage status on the SCE website here.