Residents urge action after repeated Southern California Edison power shutoffs; city says it is coordinating with state regulators

Several Thousand Oaks residents and community groups told the City Council on Jan. 28 that recent Southern California Edison public safety power shutoffs (PSPS) caused economic and safety harms, while city officials said they are coordinating regional advocacy and local emergency follow-up.

Steve Lutz, a Newbury Park resident, told the council his household experienced three recent outages and blamed Edison’s infrastructure and management. “This is all about money,” he said. “These public safety power shutoffs are not about public safety. They’re about profit.” Lutz said families lost “hundreds of dollars” of food and that some residents spent “if not $1,000” on alternate power or meals.

Rich Hammond, also of Newbury Park, pointed the council to state rules and local weather data. “Why then did so many Thousand Oaks residents lose power for multiple days last week when we had wind speeds that didn’t even exceed 30 miles per hour?” he asked, referencing California Public Utilities Commission General Order 95’s wind-resistance standard.

Cindy Lou, founder of the disability advocacy group We Belong, told the council she fears people with disabilities and caregivers were particularly vulnerable. Lou said there are “approximately 2,000 disabled students at CVUSD” and estimated the disability community could number “approximately 5 to 6,000 people,” urging the city to create advisory groups and accessible emergency plans.

City Manager Drew Powers acknowledged widespread local impacts and described multi-jurisdictional advocacy efforts. “This last stretch of public safety power shutoffs have been, the worst that, Edison has ever brought forward,” Powers said. He said Thousand Oaks and neighboring cities are coordinating under the county Office of Emergency Services and submitting concerns to the governor’s office, the legislature and the CPUC.

Powers said the city’s advocacy focuses on increased infrastructure investment to reduce PSPS occurrences and shortening the duration of shutoffs when they occur. He identified Patrick Maynard, head of the city Office of Emergency Services, as helping to coordinate the regional effort and said council members have participated in calls with state officials.

On individual needs, Powers said evacuations and support for residents on medical equipment remain a focus. He said Police Chief Jeremy Paris had already spoken with the resident who raised evacuation concerns and that chief and emergency staff would follow up directly.

No formal council action or vote was taken on the PSPS public comments. The council did not adopt a motion at the meeting specifically directing new local regulations of utilities; instead staff described ongoing advocacy and coordination with county and state agencies.

The council’s discussion of PSPS came during the public comment period and in staff responses; council members and staff encouraged residents to report hardship and to work with city emergency services to identify people with critical medical needs.

Looking ahead, Powers said the city will keep pushing the CPUC and state offices for changes and that local emergency planners will continue refining outreach and evacuation protocols for vulnerable populations. Residents who seek follow-up were told city staff would make direct contact.