SDG&E

SDG&E WARNS OF POWER SHUT-OFFS IN NEXT 48 HOURS TO 28,701 CUSTOMERS IN EAST COUNTY COMMUNITIES

October 9, 2019 (San Diego's East County) -- SDG&E has issued a warning that it may shut off power to 28,701 customers in East County communities starting in the next 48 hours due to wildfire risks.  A red flag alert has been issued for Thursday afternoon and Friday by the National Weather Service.  The following communities are currently forecasted to be impacted:

  • Banner Grade
  • Boulevard
  • Descanso
  • East Alpine
  • East Ramona
  • Fallbrook
  • Julian
  • Mesa Grande
  • Mt Laguna
  • Palomar Mountain
  • Pine Valley
  • Potrero
  • Rancho Santa Fe
  • Rincon
  • Santa Ysabel
  • Valley Center
  • Viejas
  • West Valley Center
  • Wynola


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SUPREME COURT DENIES SDG&E APPEAL, ENDING UTILITY’S EFFORT TO CHARGE RATEPAYERS FOR 2007 FIRESTORM DAMAGES

By Miriam Raftery

October 7, 2019 (San Diego) – The U.S. Supreme Court announced yesterday that it has denied San Diego Gas & Electric Company’s request for the high court to hear an appeal of a California Supreme Court decision. The California court denied the utility company’s request to charge utility ratepayers for $379 million in liabilities for the firestorm damages beyond the $1.1 billion in insurance coverage.


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POWER OUTAGE SLATED IN JULIAN TODAY

By Miriam Raftery

September 18, 2019 (Julian) – SDG&E has announced a planned power outage today from 12 noon to 4 p.m. to protect safety of workers repairing power poles.  An estimated 1,600 customers will be affected.

If you are enrolled in SDG&E’s Medical Baseline program and have devices that depend on electricity, the Planned Outage Coordinator to confirm you have received the outage notification and to make any necessary arrangements during the planned outage. The outage coordinator can be reached weekdays between 7 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. at 858-654-1785.

If you need assistance after hours or over the weekend, please call 1-800-211-7343.


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SDG&E ANNOUNCES POWER OUTAGES PLANNED IN WARNER SPRINGS ON JULY 20 AND 22 FOR WOOD-TO-STEEL POLE UPGRADES

Company provides tips on how to prepare for planned outages

East County News Service

July 17, 2019 (Warner Springs) -- To strengthen the regional electric system against the threat posed by wildfires, SDG&E contractors will be working in Warner Springs to upgrade wooden power poles with fire-resistant steel poles. For the safety of the construction crews, electricity in that community will need to be turned off on two days – Saturday, July 20, and again onn Monday, July 22, – to accommodate the work.

On both days the planned outages will begin at 7:30 a.m. and will last up to 8.5 hours, according to SDG&E. Swapping out wood poles with steel poles requires the use of a helicopter, which can only be flown during daylight hours. 

In addition to upgrading the poles, crews will also replace older overhead distribution lines and other equipment, to increase the system’s capacity to withstand extreme weather conditions, such as high winds.


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SDG&E OFFERS LEVEL PAY PROGRAM AND TIPS TO HELP CUSTOMERS BEAT UNPREDICTABLE SUMMER BILLS

Click here for a video explaining how Level Pay works.  

Summer electricity prices in effect as of June 1

Source:  SDG&E

June 14, 2019 (San Diego) - With summer just around the corner, SDG&E is encouraging customers to enroll in a Level Pay program that will help them avoid spikes in their energy bills and provide them with more predictable payment amounts throughout the summer and beyond. 


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CAN’T AFFORD YOUR SDG&E BILL? HERE ARE PROGRAMS THAT CAN HELP

 

 

By Miriam Raftery

April 27, 2019 (San Diego) – San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) offers programs that can provide discounts to low income individuals on certain assistance programs, as well as to people with medical equipment under a doctor’s care.  There are also no-cost energy efficient upgrades available to qualifying individuals.


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WHAT SDG&E’S TIME-OF-USE RATE MEANS FOR YOU

 

 

Source: Sullivan Solar Power  

April 5, 2019 (San Diego) -- Beginning on March 1, 2019 SDG&E started defaulting its residential ratepayers to a new form of billing for electricity, a time-of-use rate known as “TOUDR1.” They plan to default 700,000 – 1,000,000 ratepayers per month to this time-of-use rate through mid-2020. SDG&E is mandated to provide two notices to ratepayers informing them 30 and 60 days prior to defaulting a customer, providing opportunities for ratepayers to opt out of being defaulted. See below for more details, or click here to RSVP for a seminar near you to learn more and speak with us in person.


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SDG&E CONTINUES TO OFFER ASSISTANCE TO FEDERAL WORKERS IMPACTED BY THE RECENT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

 
 
Resources and protections help impacted workers maintain electric and gas service 
 
East County News Service
 
January 31, 2019 (San Diego) -- Although the partial shutdown of the federal government ended on Jan. 25, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) stands ready to help previously furloughed employees who are coping with the lingering financial effects of the recent shutdown and may be struggling to pay their energy bill.

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SDG&E FILES REQUEST TO ELIMINATE HIGH USAGE CHARGE TO REDUCE VOLATILITY IN CUSTOMER BILLS

 

 

 

Company seeks to have Commission approval to remove charge prior to next summer  

Source: SDG&E

December 4, 2018 (San Diego)  – San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has filed a request with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to eliminate the state-mandated high usage charge, which impacted more than 105,000 customers this past summer. Eliminating the charge for high energy users would minimize bill spikes during months when energy usage is high. 


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CONSUMERS MAY SOON HAVE CHOICES ON WHERE TO BUY POWER AS MORE CITIES MOVE TOWARD COMMUNITY CHOICE

 

 

SDG&E now says it wants to exit power-purchasing business

By Miriam Raftery

November 25, 2018 (San Diego)  Across California, nearly 20 communities are now purchasing their own power through community choice energy programs that aim to lower utility bills and provide energy from clean, green sources. 

The concept is gaining bipartisan support locally, where Republican Mayor Kevin Faulconer announced his intent in October for the citof San Diego to establish acommunity choice option backed by prominent Democrats on the city council. La Mesas city council voted unanimously in April to pursue a community choice energy alternative and Solana Beach already has one. There is also talk of some local jurisdictions banding together to form a regional community choice energy program for ratepayers.


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SEMPRA ENERGY LAUNCHES ANNUAL GRANT PROGRAM FOR VETERANS DAY

 

Source:  SDG&E

Photo:  Sempra Energy headquarters in downtown San Diego. Courtesy of Sempra Energy

November 12, 2018 (San Diego) - Sempra Energy is launching an annual charitable-contribution program for Veterans Day to benefit support organizations for veterans and their families, with the inaugural grant of $20,000 going to the Gary Sinise Foundation.


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STRAW BALE HOME IN CAMPO HONORED AS ENERGY CHAMPION BY SDG&E, WILL BE FEATURED ON GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL TOUR OCT. 21

 

 

By Miriam Raftery

Photos: Simple Construct

 

 

Hear our interview on KNSJ radio with homeowners Brian and Susan Fallgren, Simple Construct builder Rebeca Tasker, and SDG&E communications manager Helen Gao.

 View video on the home’s construction and view tour of the finished residence. 

July 14, 2018 (Campo) – Inspired by historical California adobe homes,  Brian and Susan Fallgren in Campo teamed up with Simple Construct to create a straw bale and adobe home that is beautiful, comfortable even in extreme heat, fire resistant and energy efficient—producing more power than it uses. 

The home has also won numerous honors.  It’s the first residence in Southern California to receive net zero certification through the Living Building Challenge, one of only 27 homes in the world to win this recognition.  A participant in the California Advanced Homes Program, it was also a winner in  the San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) 13th annual  Energy Showcase Awards and will be featured on the San Diego Green Building Council’s Green Homes Tour on Sunday, October 21.

“It’s an incredibly functional, comfortable home to live in, not only from an environmental standpoint, but from an every day livability standpoint,” Susan Fallgren says.

Audio: 

Interview: Straw Bale Homes--Helen Gao of SDG&E, Rebecca Tasker of Simple Construct, & Campo homeowners Brian and Susan Fallgren

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SDG&E’S FIREFIGHTING AIR-CRANE NOW STATIONED IN EAST COUNTY YEAR-ROUND

 

Utility also announces it has begun installing portable generators to minimize planned power outages in critical wildfire areas and will open Community Resource Centers during fire events.

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

September 14, 2018 (El Cajon) - With the threat of wildfires now constant rather than a fall season rite of passage, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) held a press conference last week to showcase its innovative firefighting “Air-Crane” at a Gillespie Field hangar.


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SDG&E: FINAL SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR PLANT SETTLEMENT WILL REDUCE RATEPAYER BILLS STARTING IN NOVEMBER

 

 

East County News Service

August 4, 2018 (San Diego) -- The Settlement Agreement for issues and costs related to the closure of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) is final after San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE) and other parties notified the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) that they accept the CPUC’s request to remove a provision that would have funded university-conducted greenhouse gas research. 


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ELECTRIC SHOCK: SDG&E WANTS HEFTY RATE HIKES

 

 

Hearings planned in San Diego June 26 and 28

By Miriam Raftery

June 15, 2018 (San Diego) — Ratepayers may be in for an unpleasant shock.  San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has asked the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for an 11% increase next year and increases of 6.9%, 5.1% and 4.9% in 2020, 2021 and 2022.


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NEW ENERGY PRICING PLANS ADD MORE CHOICE AND CONTROL FOR CUSTOMERS

 

Five reasons to consider switching to a Time of Use plan

East County News Service

June 7, 2018  (San Diego) – San Diego Gas & Electric’s (SDG&E) new Time of Use (TOU) pricing plans are giving residents more choices and control over their energy bills. These plans offer savings for customers who can shift some of their energy use outside the higher cost on-peak hours of 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. According to an SDG&E press release:


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COUNTY AND RURAL FIRE AGENCIES RECEIVE $164,500 FROM SDG&E TO INSTALL ESSENTIAL TECHNOLOGY

 

Supervisor Ron Roberts recognizes SDG&E and Fire Foundations for their leadership

Source: SDG&E

May 15, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) -- In an action that will improve communications and awareness for first responders during wildfires and other natural disasters, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors today accepted two grants totaling $164,500 for the installation of 70 Mobile Data Computers on CAL FIRE firefighting rigs in the backcountry.


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LAWSUITS FILED AGAINST SDG&E OVER POWERLINE EASEMENTS: ATTORNEYS SEEK OTHER IMPACTED PROPERTY OWNERS IN EAST COUNTY

 

By Miriam Raftery

Photos: Screenshots, KUSI Turko Files

April 30, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – Several property owners have filed lawsuits against SDG&E over negative impacts from the utility’s plan to widen easements to 15 feet on each side of power lines in communities including Pine Valley, Descanso and Alpine.


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GRANT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT NON-PROFITS AND IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT

 

East County News Service

Photo: Grid Alternatives, a recent recipient of SDG&E’s Environmental Champions grant



April 11, 2018 (San Diego) – San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) kicked off its ninth annual “Environmental Champions” grant program, which supports non-profit organizations and their missions to improve the environment in San Diego and southern Orange counties.


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PROJECT LOON TO POWER BACKCOUNTRY DURING POWER OUTAGES

 

 

 

By Will U. Pay

April 1, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – Responding to rural residents’ concerns over frequent power shut-offs to prevent its lines from sparking wildfires, SDG&E today announced an innovative partnership with Google’s parent company, Alphabet. 

“Just as Alphabet deployed a fleet of balloons over Puerto Rico to power cell phone service and restore Internet connections after the hurricane there, Alphabet’s Project Loon will launch a fleet of balloons over San Diego’s East County to aid residents in our rural areas during future planned power outages,”  SDG&E spokesperson Sharon Power announced today.


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SDG&E HEARS FROM DESCANSO RESIDENTS IN PUBLIC FORUM ON FIRE SAFETY AND POWER SHUT-OFF CONCERNS

 

Future community forums planned March 23 in Valley Center, March 30 in Ramona and April 6 in Warner Springs. View schedule here.

By Miriam Raftery

March 22, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – At the Descanso Town Hall on March 16th,  SDG&E representatives met with residents to discuss efforts to improve fire safety and hear community concerns, including ideas for reducing impacts of power shut-offs during high fire-risk weather conditions. Representatives from 211 San Diego , the local Red Cross, the Descanso Fire Safe Council and the area’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) were also on hand.

Portions of Descanso had a dozen or more outages late last year, much to the frustration of many residents.  But the outskirts of Descanso have also had among the most extreme conditions. 


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CITIZENS OVERSIGHT SIGNS $873 MILLION SAN ONOFRE SHUTDOWN SETTLEMENT WITH SCE, SDG&E AND OTHER PARTIES

 

Substantial relief to ratepayers: $873 million will not be paid to utilities over the next 5 years, resulting in $775 million reduction

East County News Service

January 31, 2017 (San Diego) – Citizens Oversight, also operating as the “Coalition to Decommission San Onofre,” today signed a settlement agreement with Southern California Edison (SCE), San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) and other ratepayer advocates to bring to a close the dispute over the amount ratepayers are obligated to pay for the San Onofre Nuclear Generation Station (SONGS).  The nuclear plant was subject to an emergency shutdown on January 31, 2012, and permanently shuttered on June 6, 2013.


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OFFICE OF RATEPAYER ADVOCATES RECOMMENDS CPUC DENY SDG&E APPLICATION FOR REHEARING ON WILDFIRE COSTS

 

By Miriam Raftery

January 28, 2018 (San Diego) – The Office of Ratepayer Advocates (ORA) has issued a recommendation urging the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to deny a request by three utility companies for a rehearing, after the CPUC ruled that San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) cannot charge ratepayers for its uninsured losses from the 2007 Witch, Guejito and Rice wildfires.


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SDG&E SHUTS OFF POWER ACROSS BACKCOUNTRY DURING RED FLAG WARNING, SPARKING MORE ANGRY RESPONSES FROM RESIDENTS

 

 

 

By Miriam Raftery

January 28, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – With a red flag warning in effect due to high fire danger and gusty Santa Ana winds forecast through Monday, San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) has once again shut off power to many rural and mountain communities.  An outage map curiously labels these as “unplanned outages” even though clicking on communities shown in the SDG&E outages map reveals a message stating that in most of the current outages, “We’ve shut off the power for safety.” 

Power went off last night (Saturday evening) and is not slated for restoration until mid-to-late afternoon on Monday.

The power is presently out in many areas including the East County communitise Boulevard, Live Oak Springs, Descanso, Pine Valley, Alpine, Pine Hills, Santa Ysabel and surrounding communities, affecting thousands of customers. Portions of North County including Valley Center and the Pauma area are also without power.


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SUPERVISOR JACOB CALLS FOR CPUC INVESTIGATION INTO SDG&E POWER SHUT-OFFS; CPUC CONFIRMS IT WILL INVESTIGATE INTENTIONAL OUTAGES

 

By Miriam Raftery

Updated September 6, 2018 with response from SDG&E

September 4, 2018 (San Diego's East County) -- Supervisor Dianne Jacob has sent a letter to California Public Utilities Chairman Michael Picker requesting a formal investigation and independent review by the agency into  San Diego Gas & Electric’s decision to shut off power to thousands of San Diego County residents during recent Santa Ana winds, ostensibly to prevent power lines from sparking fires. 

In an email to ECM, a CPUC spokesman has confirmed that the regulatory agency will conduct an investigation into the intentional outages.


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SDG&E SCHEDULES NEW OUTAGES, THIS TIME FOR REPAIRS, ACROSS DOZENS OF COMMUNITIES

By Miriam Raftery

December 19, 2017 (San Diego) – After restoring power to residents impacted by planned outages due to high winds, some lasting a week or more, SDG&E has announced a new round of planned outages—this time, for equipment repairs.

The utility’s site indicates notices were sent to impacted customers. View full, current map of outages here; click on “planned outages” to view those scheduled:  https://www.sdge.com/safety/outages/outage-map

Some are slated to be extensive; for instance, the Descanso and Viejas areas are projected to have a 10 hour outage starting tomorrow morning.  Parts of El Cajon are slated to be without power for eight hours on Thursday. Many other communities are also affected in the coming days.

But some residents are asking why the repairs can’t wait. Shutting off power over the holiday season raises several concerns, including:


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SDG&E RESPONDS TO OUTAGE CONCERNS, BUT LEGISLATORS HUESO AND VOEPEL IGNORE INQUIRIES

 

 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Dennis Richardson

December 19, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – SDG&E has responded to our inquiry seeking answers to questions raised by concerned readers during planned outages to 17,000 SDG&E customers due to last week’s high winds, which ECM reported on here and here.

Helen Gao,  communications manager for Sempra Energy,  parent company of SDG&E,  sent the following reply to our questions on topics including loss claims, factors that determine when to shut off power, people with medical needs, support for residents during outages in need of water and communications, adjusting bills to eliminate charges during outages, and what might be done in communities with repeated outages to reduce or eliminate that need in the future.

Below is her response in full, followed by comments from rural residents with contrasting opinions on the outages:


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SDG&E RESTORES POWER AFTER PROLONGED OUTAGES; RESIDENTS WHO SUFFERED STRESS AND LOSS WANT CHANGES FOR FUTURE

 

 

Residents angered at loss of water pumps, alarm systems, refrigeration, comunication and heat during outages up to a week in some areas that have suffered repeated outages

By Miriam Raftery

December 12, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – SDG&E announced last night that it has fully restored power to all customers who were de-energized due to “public safety concerns” following a week-long red flag warning with strong gusty winds, low humidity and dangerous fire conditions.  An SDG&E media release states, “After crews inspected power lines all day in coordination with contract firefighters who were on hand to ensure a safe restoration process, power was turned on for all remaining customers. Field crews patrolled on the ground and in the air. Aerial inspections were completed by five helicopters in rural, mountainous areas."

Power remains out to 56 customers in the Lilac Fire zone in North County, where full restoration is expected early Tuesday evening. All 43 poles damaged in the fire will be replaced with fire-resistant steel poles and thicker, stronger wires, SDG&E indicates, adding, ““We understand that being without power, for any reason, is an inconvenience and we appreciate the patience we have received from our customers.”  For current information on outages and restoration times, visit sdge.com/outage.

Across East County,  many residents in rural, mountain and high desert towns have taken to social media to voice concerns over the prolonged outages.  Although SDG&E says it did provide advance notice to 170,000 customers of possible planned outages due to high winds and fire danger, before shutting off power to many thousands of homes, many rural residents say that’s not enough – and they want changes made. Below are highlights of residents' concerns and proposals.


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IF YOU HAD FOOD SPOIL, BUSINESS INTERRUPTED OR OTHER DAMAGE FROM POWER OUTAGE, YOU CAN SUBMIT A CLAIM

 

Save receipts, take photos, and document your losses

East County News Service

December 8, 2017 (San Diego) – If you suffered damages due to planned power outages, you can submit a claim to SDG&E asking for reimbursement, says Helen Gao. SDG&E has posted information on its website:  https://www.sdge.com/business/services/making-claim or scroll down to view the information provided by the utility:


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UPDATES ON LILAC FIRE: HELP AVAILABLE FOR EVACUEES AND THOSE WITHOUT POWER

 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: SDG&E mobile command north of I-8 at Japatul has free wi-fi, charging stations and water for those affected by power outages in East County.

December 8, 2017 (San Diego) -- President Donald Trump has issued a disaster declaration for San Diego County due to the Lilac Fire to maximize firefighting resources and the military is also providing aircrafts to fight the fires. The declaration does not cover rebuilding for fire survivors, which could be made through a separation action later.

The National Weather Service’s revised forecast now indicates high winds will continue through Sunday, so the danger of new fires remains high and all residents are asked to refrain from any activities that could spark a fire.

Countywide, thousands remain without power, many due to planned outages to prevent ignition, others due to damaged equipment and fires. But more help is now available.


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