Answers From SCE On Malibu Fire Safety Undergrounding Raise Questions About Areas Not Included

Southern California Edison says it has achieved major success , after five years of watching how its new insulation coverings have performed on overhead power lines.

But the company is now moving to much-more expensive underground power lines, in other areas it is protecting against flashovers and downed lines in high winds.

A spokesman, Reggie Kumar, says the western part of Malibu is already protected by lines with covered conductor.  This is insulation on the overhead lines, that protects the them from sparking fires if a balloon or a palm frond run blows into them.

Kumar says the covered conductor in very high-fire risk areas like western Malibu has replaced has reduced fire ignitions … and improved the safety factor by an estimated 73% 

Reggie Kumar.

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“Southern California Edison is leading the way in physical risk reduction, with its total hardened miles in High Fire Risk Areas those of all other California Investor Owned Utilities combined. 

“On fully covered segments, there have not been any ignitions due to failure of covered conductor. 

“We have seen a significant reduction in wildfire risk and public safety power shutoffs with the completed grid hardening work, primarily the installation of covered conductor.”

Kumar says  that the covered conductors are reducing the threat of accidental ignition by 73 percent.

That’s in western Malibu.

But now … in eastern Malibu … and in the mountains above Malibu …. The company is shifting its plans.

No explanation … though … why from now on SCE is planning to underground its vulnerable lines. 

While the overhead covered conductor is 73 percent effective ..,. putting lines underground is 98 percent effective in reducing fire risks. 

In Northern California … the power company up there has electered to go with under grounding in the first place … and not covered conductors.

Kumar says Malibu is different terrain. 

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“In Malibu, more than 60% or 70 miles of our distribution system is already underground, and about 50 miles of covered conductor has been installed.

“And we are doing targeted undergrounding in areas that we consider to have limited entry and exit points to the community, high burn frequency, and other criteria described in SCE information that we have provided. 

“We have different topography than the PGE area and this is what we are focused at this time.”

But we still don’t know why SCE is shifting from covered conductor to the much more expensive undergrounding.

And what about SCE’s new maps … which show that power lines will be put underground in eastern Malibu?

The power company does says in advance … that those maps are not very focussed … not very granular. 

Kumar tells KBUU News that areas that will see underground power lines … put in at the company’s expense … are areas with high fire danger … with limited ways to get out … and other similar dangers.

Does that include Pacific coast Highway?

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“There may be some portions of PCH identified for underground based on underground design from the existing power lines in canyon areas. 

“Poles that have lines and assets from other companies will remain though. 

“So the telecommunications companies that have their lines with our electrical lines, they may remain if they don’t agree to underground those lines when we underground ours..” 

So still a question: why is Western Malibu going to be left to rely on covered conductor, when other areas of the state get underground power lines.

And: what about the Cuthbert Circuit where the power keeps going out even though they’ve been replaced with covered conductor?

SCE’s spokesman says the studies and engineering is ongoing.

It appears that homeowners will not have to pay to put the power lines underground as part of this project, but it also appears that homeowners will have to pay to connect their meters to the new underground lines. 

And as Kumar points out… the question of all those thick black communications cables … will those will be put underground … and who pays for that … remains open.

We will keep you posted.

Link to SCE’s fire safety under grounding page: https://www.sce.com/sites/default/files/custom-files/PDF_Files/Targeted_Undergrounding_County_Maps_March_2024.pdf