One goal of operating any modern power grid is to minimize, detect and isolate faults, which are instances of imperfect or abnormal electric current. Grids require uninterrupted waves of electrons flowing through the system for proper operation and service reliability.

Faults are typically caused by objects such as palm fronds, metallic balloons or wildlife contacting power lines. They can disrupt power and lead to hazardous situations, especially during elevated fire conditions.

One effective way Southern California Edison reduces the threat of ignition is by installing covered conductor, which are power lines with a durable protective coating to help prevent contact from objects onto the energized portion of the wire.

“When you have a bare wire system, you’re more likely to have faults caused by contact with objects,” said Arianne Luy, an SCE engineering manager of grid hardening. “Comparing covered versus bare wire, covered conductor significantly reduces the chance of faults.”

Modifying the poles connecting and supporting power lines is another way SCE reduces the risk of ignitions. The company is installing remote-controlled automatic reclosers — protection devices that work like circuit breakers at a substation — directly onto power poles. They can detect faults and disconnect a line or line segments when a fault reaches a threshold that could damage electrical equipment or create a hazardous condition.

“We have equipped our power system with smart grid equipment across our area that helps to detect faults,” said Ray Fugere, SCE principal manager of wildfire mitigation strategy. “In high fire risk areas, the same equipment can help reduce the threat of wildfires.”

SCE began deploying and using faster grid protection settings in high fire risk areas during elevated fire conditions in 2018 as part of a suite of wildfire mitigation measures to reduce ignition risk and is further refining its settings this year.

“In high fire risk areas, we enable faster grid protection settings on protective devices during elevated fire conditions,” Luy said. “They are more sensitive to faults and disconnect more quickly – fractions of seconds more quickly – which can make all the difference in reducing the chance of an ignition.”

Although this might lead to additional power outages, it helps reduce the risk of ignitions that can cause wildfires in the communities SCE serves. Many wildfire mitigation measures, including covered conductor, also improve reliability by minimizing outages year-round when these faster settings are enabled.

“The company is constantly looking at new and innovative ways to provide reliable electric service safely,” Fugere said. “We have installed more than 3,600 miles of covered conductor since 2018, and our current plan is to be up to 6,700 miles by 2024.”

For more information on SCE's wildfire mitigation efforts, visit sce.com/wildfire-safety.