power outages

FROM THE FIRE CHIEF’S CORNER: SUMMER HEAT AND POWER OUTAGES

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

 

August 24, 2023 (San Diego) – Summer heat can interfere with our power supply in many ways. Hot weather can drive up energy demands, often to power air conditioners, which can overload your electrical grid.


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CHIEF’S CORNER: SUMMER HEAT AND POWER OUTAGES

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

August  12, 2023 (San Diego) – Summer heat can interfere with our power supply in many ways. Hot weather can drive up energy demands, often to power air conditioners, which can overload your electrical grid.  Here are tips to prepare for power outages.


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GROUPS CALL FOR EXPANDING POWER OUTAGE BATTERY-BACKUP PROGRAM

When the power grid fails, it’s an inconvenience for most people, but a matter of life and death for disabled California residents who depend on medical devices that need to be plugged in.

By Jennifer McLelland for Yes! Magazine (via California News Service for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Service Collaboration)

April 18, 2023 (Sacramento) -- Our house lost power a few nights ago, during one of 2023’s record-setting storms. For most people, losing power is a minor inconvenience. For our family, losing power is a medical emergency.


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POWER OUTAGES LEAVE EAST COUNTY RESIDENTS IN THE DARK

East County News Service

June 29, 2022 (San Diego's East County) -- SDG&E estimates that power will be out until midnight for 190 customers who lost power at 9:21 p.m. The areas without power are in Casa De Oro/ Rancho San Diego/ Jamacha/ W Jamul/ Indian Springs/ La Presa/ Spring Valley/ Rancho San Diego/ El Cajon/ Granite Hills/ Singing Hills/Mt. Helix.


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TIPS FOR COPING WITH THANKSGIVING IF THE POWER GOES OUT

By Miriam Raftery

November 22, 2021 (San Diego) – With SDG&E warning over 28,000 customers in 38 communities of possible power outages Thursday through Saturday due to high fire danger, how can you salvage Thanksgiving dinner plans with your family?  Here are a few ideas:

1. Cook your turkey and side dishes on Wednesday. You can serve sliced turkey and sides cold, or cook or reheat on a covered  camp stove on your patio outdoors, but keep a water bucket handy if you cook on any open flame.

2. Barbecue the bird!  If you have a rotisserie or smoker, you can cook the whole turkey outdoors. Or carve it into slices and cook the [pieces on your gas-powered or charcoal-fired barbecue.

3.. Plan a picnic outside with side dishes that can be served cold. How about a yam potato salad instead of baked yams?  Or a balsamic green bean salad instead of green bean casserole?  Opt for smoked turkey slices with pre-chilled cranberry-orange sauce or other embellishments.

4. Consider ditching traditional turkey for smoked salmon or a gourmet charcuterie board instead.


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SDG&E WARNS OF POWER SHUTOFFS OVER THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY DUE TO FIRE DANGER: OUTAGES COULD LAST DAYS

Update November 24, 2021:  SDG&E has widened its list of possible outage areas to include more than 53,000 customers. See the updated list of impacted communities here:  https://www.sdge.com/psps-dashboard

By Miriam Raftery

November 22, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) -- Before you stock up on turkey and other groceries for a feast, be aware that San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is asking customers in 38 local communities to prepare for potential Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) over the Thanksgiving holiday.


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COUNTY RESIDENTS ASKED TO TAKE PUBLIC SAFETY POWER SHUTOFF SURVEY

By Miriam Raftery

July 3, 2021 (San Diego) -- The San Diego County Office of Emergency Services is asking all County residents to fill out a survey about the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) program.  The SDG&E program to shut off power during high fire-risk conditions has sparked controversy across the backcountry among residents left without electricity to power their homes, businesses, wells pumps, and other vital needs. The deadline to complete the survey is July 13.

The survey asks residents whether they received adequate notification of such outages and whether they experienced financial losses, among other details – the first step toward documenting impacts of the program and potentially leading to changes.


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GENERATORS POSE FIRE AND SAFETY HAZARDS DURING OUTAGES: OSHA PROVIDES SAFETY TIPS

By Miriam Raftery

Photo via Fire District 1, Edmonds, Wash.  Home destroyed by a portable generator fire

December 6, 2020 (San Diego)—Generators have sparked several wildfires in California, ironically during power outages planned by utility companies to prevent fires. While generators are vital for many homeowners to operate electric well pumps, lights, refrigerators, computers, medical equipment and other necessities during prolonged outages, generators can pose hazards if not not used or maintained properly. Explosions, electric shocks, electrocution, hearing loss from noise, vibration hazards, and carbon monoxide poisoning from exhaust are all potential risks from generators.

Last year, three fires caused by generators during power shut-offs by  PG&E were reported in Nevada County, CA, Wildfire Today reported.  This week, the Bond Fire that has scored over 7,300 acres in Orange County may have been triggered by a faulty domestic generator, according to Reuters. Neighbors have said that a generator exploded when a homeowner without power tried to start up the generator, though fire authorities have not yet confirmed the wildfire’s cause.

The Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) have published guidelines on how to use portable generators safely. Below are highlights from the OSHA advice:


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SDG&E WARNS 2,700 CUSTOMERS OF POTENTIAL PUBLIC SAFETY POWER SHUTOFFS AFTER THANKSGIVING

East County News Service

Nov. 25, 2020  (San Diego’s East County)  – Stock up on coolers to keep your Thanksgiving leftovers chilled.  Due to a Red Flag Warning  issued by the National Weather Service and forecasted Santa Ana winds, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has notified approximately 2,700 customers in the communities of Alpine, Campo Reservation, Crestwood, Descanso, Julian, La Posta Reservation, Manzanita Reservation, Pala, Santa Ysabel, Santa Ysabel Reservation, Valley Center and Viejas Reservation, that it may have to turn off power to reduce wildfire risk beginning early Friday morning.      

 “The last thing we want to be telling any of our customers right now is that we may have to shut off power given the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and the ongoing COVID pandemic,” said SDG&E’s Chief Customer Officer Scott Crider. “Public Safety Power Shutoffs are a last resort to prevent wildfires, and our employees are dedicated to doing everything we can to minimize impacts should it come to that. We’re hoping Mother Nature cooperates, but in an abundance of caution we have reached out to our customers so they can be prepared.”

Several hundred SDG&E linemen, troubleshooters and support personnel will be working on Thanksgiving Day and through the holiday weekend to ensure that power can be restored as quickly and as safely as possible, should safety power shutoffs occur.


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KEEP YOUR FAMILY, PETS SAFE WHEN USING GENERATORS DURING POWER OUTAGES

Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency

Photo: Creative Commons by NC-ND via Bing

November 20, 2020 (Sacramento) – As California continues to recover from wildfires, FEMA urges everyone who experiences a power outage to be safe when using portable generators.


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SDG&E NOTIFIES APPROXIMATELY 700 BACKCOUNTRY RESIDENTS TO PREPARE FOR POTENTIAL PUBLIC SAFETY POWER SHUTOFFS DUE TO SANTA ANA WINDS AND FIRE WEATHER WATCH

September 27, 2020 (San Diego) – Due to elevated fire weather conditions and forecasted Santa Ana winds, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has notified certain backcountry residents that it may have to turn off power in order to reduce wildfire risk in the coming days. Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) are approved by state regulators as an important safety tool to mitigate fire risk during dangerous weather conditions.

The National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch for Monday for inland San Diego County mountains and foothills. Weak to moderate strength Santa Ana winds are expected to arrive today, peak Monday morning in strength and become weak to moderate by the end of the day. In preparation, SDG&E has activated its Emergency Operations Center to monitor conditions 24/7 and has organized personnel and pre-staged materials and equipment for response.


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FIRE DAMAGES ELECTRIC SYSTEM: SOME RESIDENTS COULD BE WITHOUT POWER FOR A WEEK OR MORE

By Miriam Raftery

September 8, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – The Valley Fire has damaged the electric system across numerous rural communities that may be without power for days. Some communities left sweltering without power since Sept. 5 may not have power restored until Sept. 15 in order to repair fire damage. An additional circuit sustained weather damage to equipment.

The prolonged outage includes some circuits in Alpine, Barrett Lake, Buckman Springs, Campo, Dehesa, Dulzura, Jamul, Lyons Valley, Morena Village,  Potrero, and Rancho Palo Verde. With the 17,000 acre wildfire still burning and Santa Ana winds forecast tonight, the outages imperil residents ability to receive emergency notifications, open electric garage doors to evacuate, or pump water to drink or fight spot fires, unless they own generators.

SDG&E has alerted customers and posted estimated dates of power restoration on its outage webpage at https://www.sdge.com/residential/customer-service/outage-center/outage-map. The communities and circuits impacted are listed below. You can find your circuit on your SDG&E bill.


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SDG&E BEGINS UNDERGROUNDING POWER LINES IN JULIAN, PROJECT WILL ALLOW CRITICAL FACILITIES TO REMAIN POWERED DURING SHUTOFFS

East County News Service

January 7, 2020 (Julian) – SDG&E has begun construction to place powerlines underground east of downtown Julian along Banner Road (State Route 78) and Cape Horn Avenue).

The project aims to reduce wildfire risk and allow key facilities to remain open during safety power shutoffs, according to a press release issued by SDG&E.

“Unlike overhead power lines, underground lines do not present a fire risk during high winds and elevated fire danger conditions. Facilities that will benefit from the undergrounding work include: the post office, county branch library, Julian Union High School, Julian Charter School, Julian Elementary School and the CAL FIRE Station, as well as a county public works maintenance yard and a school bus yard,” the utility states. Existing overhead power lines in the area will remain, as they are needed to continue serving some customers.


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PG&E TO CREDIT RATEPAYERS FOR OUTAGE, BUT SDG&E REFUSES AS THOUSANDS HERE LEFT POWERLESS

By Miriam Raftery

October 31, 2019 (San Diego) – A day after Governor Gavin Newsom ordered the California Public Utilities Commission to create tough new rules limiting mass outages by utilities seeking to limit their liability for fires and mandating compensation for ratepayers,  PG&E announced it will credit its ratepayers for blackouts, Newsom announced.  But San Diego Gas & Electric is refusing to do the same.

In respond to East County Magazine’s inquiry,  SDG&E communications manager Wes Jones responded yesterday, ““SDG&E is not processing any bill credits. SDG&E abides by rules set by the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates how we operate. Per that process, SDG&E is not liable for circumstances beyond our control, including weather conditions like those we have been experiencing this month. SDG&E has a legal obligation to abide by tariffs, or rules, that prevent payment for damages, such as food spoilage.”


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GOVERNOR NEWSOM ASKS CPUC TO REFORM POWER SHUT-OFF RULES, PENALIZE UTILITIES FOR EXCESSIVE OUTAGES AND MANDATE COMPENSATION FOR IMPACTED RATEPAYERS

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Governor Newsom met with officials and emergency responders after touring Getty Fire area in Los Angeles yesterday

October 29, 2019 (Sacramento) –San Diego rural and mountain residents weary of repeated utility-led Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) by SDG&E to prevent wildfires had complaints fall on deaf ears during Governor Jerry Brown’s administration.

By contrast, Governor Gavin Newsom has just issued a series of announced actions aimed at restricting widespread intentional outages and penalizing utilities that violate new rules that Newsom aims to impose.  In addition, Newsom called for an end to charging ratepayers during planned outages and approved funds to help compensate those left without power for losses incurred.

He also made clear that he expects the California Public Utilities Commission to take strong actions. The new Governor has appointed two new CPUC commissioners – and made clear at a press conference that he expects to see reforms, or more changes  will be made.


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IN THE FACE OF MORE FREQUENT, LARGER CALIF. WILDFIRES, HOW SAN DIEGO BUSINESSES CAN PREPARE FOR UNEXPECTED POWER INTERRUPTIONS

 

 

By Dan Svejnar, Vice President, Head of Commercial North America, Centrica Business Solutions

 

March 12, 2019 (San Diego) -- Few businesses actually spend the time to consider the impact a power outage could have on their operations and revenue. When the power goes out, even for as short as two hours, the economic engine stalls for businesses of any size. Without electricity, cash registers are inoperable, and assembly lines grind to a halt.


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OUTAGES REPORTED ACROSS EAST COUNTY: STEPS TO TAKE TO PREPARE FOR POWER INTERRUPTIONS



East County News Service



November 12, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) – SDG&E’s outages site reports power outages in multiple rural communities, some planned to prevent fires during high winds, others unplanned. Power is currently out in the vicinities of Alpine, Campo, Jacumba, Potrero, Jamul, Mount Laguna, Descanso, Cuyamaca and Pine Valley.

Here are some steps you should take to be prepared for outages and evacuations. If you have additional tips to share, please post them in our comments section:


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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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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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RESIDENTS VOICE ANGER OVER POWER OUTAGES

Photo, left: Map of outages in San Diego County as of 7:45 a.m. today.

December 8, 2017 (San Diego's East County) -- SDG&E has sent warnings to 170,000 San Diego County residents to be prepared for power shutdowns due to the high fire danger posed by strong Santa Ana winds. The utility has already shut off power to thousands of homes in communities across our region including portions of Alpine, Bonsall,  Boulevard, Campo, Cuyamaca, Descanso, Fallbrook, Jamul, Julian, Mount Laguna, Potrero, Ramona, Santa Ysabel, Vista and more.

The utility has warned residents that their power could remain off for several days until it can be safely restored. The shut-offs, meant to prevent powerline fires such as those that ignited the 2007 firestorms, are sparking concerns and outrage among some residents, particularly in rural areas. 

Electric well pumps don’t work with the power out, leaving no way to provide water for people or livestock.  Some rural areas lack cell phone service, leaving people with no way to learn about wildfires or other emergencies, unless they have a backup generator. Many residents are also shivering in cold temperatures dipping into the 40s at night, some left without electric heating.


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BE PREPARED FOR POWER OUTAGES, SDG&E WARNS

 

By Miriam Raftery


December 6, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – SDG&E is warning East County residents of potential power outages this week due to high fire danger. On Tuesday, the utility did shut off power to the Descanso and Cuyamaca areas for several hours during gusty Santa winds, after initially warning that power could remain off until Friday to prevention ignition of power lines.

It’s important to be prepared for outages.  During wildfires in Northern California last month, several people died because they were unable to evacuate. After the power went out, some elderly residents could not disconnect automatic garage door openers or lift heavy garage doors, so they were unable to get their vehicles out.


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SDG&E CREWS RESTORE POWER BETWEEN STORMS

 

SDG&E crews restore power to approximately 39,000 customers between storms

Source: SDG&E

January 22, 2017 (San Diego) -- Friday delivered severe winds and rain to San Diego and Orange counties, uprooting trees that brought down power lines throughout the area. SDG&E crews worked to restore power to approximately 39,000 customers in a matter of hours. In isolated cases, where there was extensive damage, restorations took a bit longer, however most customers were restored by Sunday morning.


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POWER OUTAGE ACROSS EAST COUNTY

December 6, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) –Nearly 3,000 customers are without power this morning in Dulzura, Potrero, Campo, Jamacha, Jamul, Indian Springs, La Presa, Spring Valley, Rancho San Diego, Barrett Lake, and Lyons Valley. According to San Diego Gas & Electric Company, the power outage is due to a suspected problem in the overhead electrical system. 


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