Strong winds are blowing across much of Southern California Edison’s service area, increasing wildfire risk and the possibility of Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS).
If your power has been turned off or your neighborhood is being considered for a shutoff, you may have questions about how PSPS works, what to expect and how SCE safely gets the power back on.
Here are answers to five common questions you may have before, during and after a PSPS.
A: A PSPS is a temporary shutoff used during dangerous fire weather conditions to reduce the chance of electrical equipment starting a wildfire. Unlike an outage caused by damaged equipment or needed repairs, a PSPS is a preventive safety measure.
Q: What conditions can trigger a PSPS?
A: SCE considers several factors, including strong winds, low humidity, dry vegetations and forecasts showing increased fire danger.
Weather stations across SCE's service area, computer modeling and real-time observations from crews in the field help SCE track changing conditions and determine where and when a shutoff may be needed.
Q: There are no high winds near my home. Why is my power shut off?
A: The power lines serving your home may travel for miles and pass through areas experiencing much stronger winds or greater fire danger. If a part of that route faces unsafe conditions, power may be turned off even if the weather near your home seems calm.
This can also explain why a neighbor has power when you do not. Nearby homes may be served by different power lines that follow different routes. In some cases, SCE can move customers to another line that is not affected, but that is not always possible because of how the system is connected or how much electricity another line can safely carry.
Q: How will I know if my area is affected?
A: SCE sends alerts by text, email and/or voice call before, during and after a PSPS when possible. You can update your contact information and notification preferences through My Account. Anyone, including tenants and caregivers, can sign up for alerts for a specific address.
You can also check the live SCE outage map for current PSPS information and available resources. Because forecasts can shift quickly, affected areas and shutoff timing may change.
Q: The winds have calmed down. When will my power come back on?
A: Once dangerous weather conditions have passed, crews must inspect the affected power lines from end to end. They look for damaged equipment, downed wires, branches or other debris that could create a safety hazard. Inspections may be completed on foot, from a vehicle, by helicopter or with a drone. Any damage must be repaired before power can safely be restored.
Inspections typically take up to eight hours but may take longer depending on factors like location or damage. You will receive an alert when inspections begin and another when power is restored.
If you receive a restoration notice but still do not have power:
- Check your circuit breakers.
- Review the outage map for another outage in your area.
- Call SCE at 1-800-611-1911.
For more information, visit sce.com/psps.
The state requires educational public communications for PSPS, which are funded by ratepayers.
