SoCal Edison is the subject of several lawsuits alleging it started the Eaton fire in LA last January. (Credit: Kyle/Adobe Stock)
Southern Californians can expect more power shutoffs on hot and windy days this year.
Southern California Edison, the utility serving about 15 million people in the region, says more of its locations are considered high-risk fire areas this year. That means more power lines could be subject to public safety power shutoffs (PSPS), when the utility cuts power to reduce the risk of the lines igniting a wildfire.
The utility has also tightened its criteria for deenergization and its wind-speed thresholds, which could mean longer and more extensive outages.
“We understand it is frustrating and disruptive to lose power for any amount of time,” said Tom Brady, SoCal Edison’s principal manager of wildfire and PSPS response. “But safety is our number one priority. We must turn the power off during these dangerous conditions to prevent a large and dangerous wildfire.”
During shutdowns, the utility will open resiliency centers and dispatch community crew vehicles to impacted neighborhoods. Residents can use them to charge cell phones, cool off and ask any questions they have for the utility. Some customers may also qualify for rebates on backup batteries and generators that can be used during a power shutoff.
SoCal Edison shut down power 20 times last year, according to regulatory filings. More than 137,000 people lost power between August and December, and the average shutdown lasted about a day and a half.
The utility has already cut power at least three times in 2025 — a number that will likely increase due to dry conditions this wildfire season.
Utilities have caused several major wildfires over the last several years. Hawaii’s main utility sparked a major fire on Maui in 2023. SoCal Edison faced major legal and financial repercussions after igniting fires in 2017 and 2018. The utility is also under investigation for potentially starting the Eaton Fire in LA in January; it is currently being sued by Los Angeles County and several other entities.
© Touchpoint Markets, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.