San Diego’s Blackout Procedures Much Different Than Malibu’s
Written by 991KBU on September 4, 2018
Edison is going to black out Malibu in heavy winds … but the San Diego utility is going to handle it very differently. …
In San Diego … the electric company there is scheduling a news conference tomorrow … to show off changes it is making to its pre-emptive blackout system.
Why is this news in Malibu??
Because the San Diego Gas and Electric blackout plan is the template for the blackout plan being introduced in Malibu … by Southern California Edison.
Our local electric company has served notice that it plans to shut off electricity into Malibu … when high velocity Santa Ana wind gusts are observed.
The Edison preemptive blackout plan has come in for some heavy criticism from Malibu … because this is an urban area … as opposed to the San Diego blackout area … which has been traditionally limited to back country mountain ranches.
San Diego gas and Electric has big plans for its new authority to extend blackouts into urban areas as well.
They have secured a water-dropping Aircrane to put out power line fires as they break out.
And San Diego is arranging for new community centers …. where residents can go for up-to-date information and more … when their houses or businesses are blacked out due to what they call proactive power shutoffs.
Southern California Edison is not taking those steps … and the California Public Utilities Commission has stepped aside from its regulatory role … content to let each for-profit power company come up with their own plans.
This fall’s fire season will be the first year that the local electric monopoly will have authority to kill the power … to prevent wind-caused fires.
State figures show that five to 10 percent of the wildfires in California are caused by powerlines.
But the state is anxious to protect the utility companies from liability … as they are believed to have caused last year’s massive wildfires in northern and southern California … which combined killed 66 people in fires and subsequent flooding related to the fires
This note …
Zuma Beach FM … the parent company of KBUU … has filed an application with the Public Utilities Commission to overturn the blackout decision.
KBUU recognizes the conflict of interest that presents … and we point out the station’s obligation to cover the issue fairly.
And … the importance of covering the story to the Malibu community.
