Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utilities Power Outages topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents, council demand clarity as repeated Southern California Edison shutoffs hit Canyon Country
Summary
Residents of Canyon Country and other Santa Clarita neighborhoods told the City Council they are facing repeated power shutoffs and urged city and state regulators to force more transparency and faster infrastructure fixes; the city urged residents to bring complaints to the California Public Utilities Commission while continuing to press Edison.
Residents from Canyon Country and other neighborhoods told the Santa Clarita City Council on multiple occasions that repeated power shutoffs by Southern California Edison (SCE) are disrupting daily life, causing health and safety concerns, and imposing out‑of‑pocket costs.
"We had our power shut off since last Tuesday," said Ismael Jimenez during the meeting's public comment period, describing repeated outages, irregular restoration schedules and a lack of clear information from SCE.
City Manager (name not specified) told the council the city has repeatedly communicated residents' concerns to Edison but stressed that Edison is regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). "Edison is completely regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission," the city manager said, urging residents to register complaints with the CPUC to ensure the regulator hears constituent concerns.
Why it matters: Speakers said shutoffs have left households without heat, hot water and refrigeration during multi‑day outages, pushing some to buy generators or incur recurring fuel costs. Several callers and in‑person speakers urged the council to require automatic reimbursements or credits for residents who suffer spoiled food, fuel costs or other direct losses.
Council response and next steps: Council members said they have met with Edison previously about circuit hardening and segmentation and pressed for faster completion of remaining upgrades. Mayor Pro Tem West said one outstanding circuit — identified locally as the Hillfield circuit in Canyon Country — remains to be upgraded and urged Edison to prioritize it. The city manager reiterated that the CPUC is the regulator with authority over Edison and asked residents to keep filing complaints to the commission.
Public safety and equity concerns: Speakers including Joseph Corcoran and Alan Fernandez described repeated outages in the same neighborhoods while nearby streets retain power, calling the pattern inequitable. Several residents said outages have forced families to spend on propane, generators and temporary housing, and one caller suggested installation of in‑home generators for affected households if outages continue.
No new regulatory authority was created by the council at the meeting; council members said they will continue to press Edison for transparency and faster implementation of hardening work and encouraged residents to document and report impacts to the CPUC.
Ending: Council members also publicly thanked first responders working regional wildfire incidents and noted that repeated outages are compounding community stress as fire risk remains elevated in the region.
