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Southern California Edison warns Simi Valley could face longer, more frequent public-safety power shutoffs
Summary
Ian Anderson of Southern California Edison told the Simi Valley City Council that new decision thresholds, climate-driven fire conditions and updated grid planning mean PSPS events could be longer and happen more often. He urged residents and businesses to prepare, outlined hardening work and pointed to customer programs and county alert systems.
Ian Anderson, government relations manager for Southern California Edison, told the Simi Valley City Council on Sept. 15 that the utility’s updated decision thresholds and a changing wildfire environment mean customers in the area could face more frequent and longer public-safety power shutoffs (PSPS).
“It’s when an electrical utility temporarily shuts off power to reduce the risk of a fire,” Anderson said, distinguishing PSPS from unplanned outages. He told the council SCE aims to provide three days’ advance notice for PSPS events and that the company has updated wind-speed thresholds used in de-energization decisions.
Anderson said SCE’s back-cast of January’s large events against the company’s new criteria indicates “customers could potentially experience longer and more extensive PSPS events this year.” He described new wind thresholds for decision-making — roughly 30–45 mph gusts for bare wire and 45–55 mph for covered conductor — and said those thresholds, combined with more localized weather stations, change PSPS frequency and duration estimates.
The presentation outlined SCE’s layered approach to reducing PSPS risk: vegetation management, covered conductor where feasible, targeted undergrounding for the highest-risk overhead lines, and ongoing segmentation and system investments. Anderson said SCE requested funding in its general rate case for targeted undergrounding but that the California Public Utilities Commission approved a smaller amount and shifted some funds toward covered conductor because it can be implemented more quickly.
Anderson used the TAPO circuit as a local example. He said the TAPO circuit is about 42.2 miles long, with roughly 14 miles overhead, 12.5 miles of covered conductor and the remainder underground. He noted that changes to circuit assignments can place neighborhoods, such as the Big Sky community, in different PSPS footprints and warned that even undergrounded areas can be affected if conditions meet de-energization thresholds.
On customer preparedness, Anderson urged residents to sign up for VC Alert and Ventura County 2-1-1, and pointed to SCE resources including marketplace.sce.com and SCE’s outage page for estimated restoration times. “The easiest, the easiest way for a customer to harden themselves is with a transfer switch and a generator,” he said, and also urged customers to consider battery backups and the Self-Generation Incentive Program.
Anderson described operational improvements: expanded advance-notice targets (three days), more granular weather station data, enhancements to call-center access and dashboards, and a new Public Safety Partner Portal for city staff. He also offered to brief the council on circuit-level details if the city wanted more information.
Council members pressed SCE on business resiliency and options for major employers. Council member Rocky Rhodes asked what business customers should do; Anderson said SCE would connect businesses with account managers and engineering teams to evaluate hardening options case by case.
The presentation is advisory; no council action was required. Anderson left contact and resource information for residents and city staff to use in outreach and emergency planning.
