RPV Asks SoCal Edison To Reconsider Re-Energizing Landslide-Affected Homes

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA — City officials are asking Southern California Edison to reconsider turning the power back on in more than 100 homes in the Portuguese Bend area, citing a reduction in land movement.

In a letter to the electric company on May 23, Rancho Palos Verdes City Manager Ara Mihranian said that movement in the Portuguese Bend Beach Club neighborhood and the Seaview area has slowed down significantly and is currently undetectable. Meanwhile, homes within the Portuguese Bend Community Association are experiencing land movement of up to four inches per week, according to Mihranian.

Power was turned off in these neighborhoods during the summer of 2024 due to the movement caused by the landslide.

As of May, SCE has turned the power back on in 74 homes in the Seaview and Portuguese Bend Beach Club area, according to a weekly administrative report from RPV officials. But 128 in the Portuguese Bend Community Association remain without power, according to the report.

Re-energizing the Portuguese Bend Community Association, according to Mihranian, would help the city save money when operating the dewatering wells in the area, which are currently being powered by generators. The city is expecting to spend $3 million this fiscal year to maintain and operate the dewatering wells, Mihranian said in the letter.

In SCE's most recent update on May 19, the electric company acknowledged land movement in the Portuguese Bend Community Association area had slowed down, but said re-energizing homes there was unsafe.

"SCE needs to see a continued and sustained reduction in land movement near our circuit infrastructure that is less than one inch per week," the electric company said in the statement. "When movement is closer to pre-2023 levels, SCE will deploy engineering solutions to the electric grid to evaluate the next steps for reenergization."

The efforts to re-energize the landslide-affected homes come after the Southern California Gas company announced on May 23 that it would begin restoring its services in the Seaview area this week.

However, the company said it is still developing designs and implementation plans to restore gas in other communities, such as the Portuguese Bend Beach Club neighborhood.

“We are grateful to these communities for their patience during what we know has been a difficult time,” Maria Martinez, director of gas engineering for SoCalGas, said in a statement at the time. “Given the sustained decreases in land movement, we look forward to the safe restoration of natural gas service for those who are ready to reconnect.”