Q: What happened and why are you turning people off?

A: The land movement in in Rancho Palos Verdes is accelerating, dynamic and increasingly unpredictable and creating unsafe conditions. SCE has been working to mitigate the effects on electric infrastructure as quickly as we can. However, conditions are worsening and de-energizations will occur if necessary to keep the community and our crews safe.

As a last resort, SCE has de-energized 193 meters, 140 of which are residential customers. Our top priority is the safety of our communities, employees and the public. SCE had to turn the power off to keep the community safe. Our hearts go out to the residents, but SCE must have stable ground to safely provide service. If SCE did not take this action, the community would be at risk of wildfires or other dangerous conditions.

Q: What happened with the fire?

A: Last Thursday, August 29, a fire ignited by a line falling due to land movement in an area not identified as high risk, according to Rancho Palos Verdes geologist maps. It was in an area that SCE was not actively monitoring. Out of an abundance of caution to prevent future ignitions, SCE have decided to shut off power to 193 meters in the Portuguese Bend community.

Q: What are you doing for everyone you turned off? When will you turn the power back on?

A: A Community Crew Vehicle will be in the area to offer support during this time. It will be located at Narcissa Drive and Fruit Tree Rd. until Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2024, when the vehicle will move to the Ladera Linda Community Center. Please visit call 1-800-250-7339 Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m., and Saturdays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. for the most up-to-date information on the situation. SCE will continue assessing the situation. Power will remain off indefinitely as SCE continues to explore ways to safely provide power to the community. SCE understands this is incredibly disruptive for the community. The safety of the community and crews is the top priority.

Q: What are you doing for customers' medical baseline, access, and functional needs in preparation for de-energization and after the power is shut off?

A: Medical Baseline customers who require the regular use of electrically powered medical equipment or another medical device may qualify for a battery backup that can power medical devices. SCE encourages customers to visit the SCE Marketplace to see if rebates are available.

Depending on eligibility, customers may receive a backup battery on loan from SCE or a rebate for purchasing a battery or portable generator. Given the circumstances, including the possibility of further land movement, SCE encourages customers to evaluate backup generation to help during an interruption. Please visit the Customer Resources and Support website to learn more.

Q: Can you provide operational information on the communities' local circuitry and which lines are impacted by the land movement?

A: To protect the public, SCE’s system is designed to automatically shut off a section of the circuit if it detects a downed wire. SCE has devices on the grid that segment the circuit to reduce the number of customers or areas affected by outages and the duration of any outages, depending on where the interruption occurs. As part of ongoing work in the area, SCE is adding devices to provide greater operational flexibility. However, changing the grid's make-up takes years and is not always feasible.

While some areas under consideration may not be experiencing significant land movement, they are affected by considerable movement in nearby areas and service disruptions to equipment supplying electricity.

Q: If SCE permanently discontinues service, will wires, poles and other equipment remain, or will it be safely removed?

A: If SCE does not intend to resume service in a location, wires, poles and other equipment will be removed.

Q: The land movement in RPV has been known for many decades. Why not design for land movement while building the electric system?

A: The system was built using the best technology and knowledge of the land movement available at the time. Although SCE can quickly check the situation and add some extra equipment to make it temporarily safer and less likely to have the wires fall, there aren’t any long-term fixes for fast land movement. When the ground shifts, the poles holding the wires will move, too, making the wires either too tight or too loose. Both situations can cause problems, leading to a power outage when safety devices like circuit breakers or fuses kick in or wildfires and other hazards when a line falls.

Q: If land movement continues at its current rate, will there be more shutoffs?

A: SCE will provide service as long as it is safe to do so. Due to the dynamic and everchanging situation, it is difficult to predict any future service shutoffs. SCE never wants to have to turn off power to a customer unless we absolutely must. In this case, must. SCE has an obligation that is higher than providing electric service, and that obligation is safety - community safety and the safety of crews.

Q: What are you doing to monitor the situation and for security patrols?

A: SCE often uses drones for line and equipment inspections. SCE performs drone inspections only when feasible and in compliance with local and FAA regulations. SCE is currently doing weekly flights to track the ground movement and are moving to manned helicopter flights to provide LiDAR measurements of the land movement. LiDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing technology that uses laser beams to measure distances to objects. SCE’s imaging focuses on the equipment to look for additional damage or risks that may not be apparent from drone inspections.

The L.A. County Sheriff performs regular security patrols in the area.

Q: Why are overhead utilities like power and phones significantly impacted by ground movement when they can be visually inspected and repaired?

A: SCE is actively monitoring the situation and working to provide power as long as it is safe to do so. Electrical infrastructure and utility equipment are designed to be installed on stable ground. The nature of this emergency has created a beyonddesign basis event. In this current situation, no design can be guaranteed to withstand the current pace of the land movement indefinitely. The movement of up to one foot per week could make these projects infeasible upon completion of design and engineering.

Q: Why does it take so long to implement new circuit designs?

A: SCE must consider several factors when designing new circuits, including load, capacity and applicable regulations. The original circuit design must be updated to conform to modern requirements before construction begins. In addition, there may be downstream impacts when SCE engages in these changes, which may require additional/supportive work beyond the immediate location. Finally, we must obtain all necessary permits before starting work.

To minimize the impact of outages, SCE has devices that segment circuits for maintenance and repair work. Depending on where the issue occurs, this may help reduce the number of customers affected and shorten the duration of outages.

Q: Why can't SCE provide a generator, battery, or microgrid to give me power when the grid fails?

A: Stable ground is essential for power lines, generators, solar panels, microgrids or home batteries. Land movement makes these solutions less reliable. Generators are particularly problematic due to environmental concerns like exhaust emissions and spill risks if they tip over. Damage to any of these can also cause fires. Weighed against the short-term benefits, these options significantly reduce safety for a minor reliability gain.

Q: Why am I not getting notified about outages?

A: SCE advised customers on July 30, 2024, that we may need to shut off power without notification if there is a safety risk. During an emergency outage, SCE will not know if the power will be cut until the line is de-energized. Unless it's planned maintenance, SCE depends on monitoring equipment, customer calls or notifications from local agencies to identify issues. Once alerted, SCE will inspect and turn off the power to carry out emergency work. Because power outages happen suddenly in emergencies, SCE can notify you only after the power is off.

If you have questions or need assistance, please reach out to the SCE customer service team at 1-800-250-7339 Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m., and Saturdays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.