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Bloomington residents press county for help after repeated power shutoffs
Summary
Residents from Bloomington and other unincorporated neighborhoods told the Board of Supervisors that repeated, prolonged power shutoffs are disrupting work, damaging appliances and endangering medically vulnerable households; they urged county intervention with Southern California Edison and the PUC.
Residents from Bloomington and nearby unincorporated neighborhoods told the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors that repeated, prolonged Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) by Southern California Edison are causing food loss, equipment damage and lost work, and they asked the county to press the utility and the California Public Utilities Commission for better notice and relief.
Why it mattered: Multiple speakers said outages last several days, may disproportionately affect lower‑income neighborhoods and households with medical refrigeration needs, and leave residents without reliable avenues for assistance. One speaker said generators and backup solutions are unaffordable for many.
What residents reported: Speakers described spoiled food, lost wages, damaged appliances and health‑care risks from interrupted refrigeration. Maria Morales said some families had to relocate temporarily and that local communications and outreach were insufficient. Guadalupe Reyes and other speakers said calls to Edison and the PUC went unanswered or lacked timely response.
County response and context: Supervisor Hagman told the board that state rules changed after the Paradise fire, legally enabling utilities to perform shutoffs as a public‑safety measure, and acknowledged broad frustration: “This has changed from the law... the utilities are forced to turn off. It's very frustrating,” he said. Board members said they are pressing Edison and the PUC for clearer communication and urged the county to publish resource contacts and local assistance options.
Requests from the public: Commenters asked for (1) clearer advance notice of PSPS events and multilingual outreach, (2) local cooling/charging/refrigeration centers and generator loan programs, (3) targeted assistance for customers with medical needs, and (4) modernization of transmission infrastructure, including burying lines where feasible.
Next steps: The chair said county staff would compile resource contact information and return it to the public; residents asked the board to pursue long‑term infrastructure advocacy with Edison and the CPUC. No formal regulatory action was taken at the meeting.
