SC Edison Unveils Malibu Blackout Plans Tonight at 5 At City Hall

Southern California Edison will take its plan to turn off the electric power to Malibu to City Hall this afternoon.

At 5 o’clock at City Hall … the utility will unveil its so-called Public Safety Power Shut Off Program.

That’s its newly approved authority to shut off electricity to entire areas … when Santa Ana winds blow.

The utility has just won authority from the California Public Utilities Commission to black out Malibu when the wind blows severely.

Under California law … the utility is required to provide safe and reliable power.

And the state has interpreted that to mean the wires on poles above Malibu have to withstand winds up to 92 miles per hour.

But wind gusts considerably below that have caused power lines to fail.

And sometimes that causes fires.

Southern California Edison may be on the hook for 2.2 billion dollars damages … and 22 lives lost … as a result of the disastrous fire that swept Ventura and Santa Barbara counties last year.

Edison is accused in lawsuits of having caused that fire … the official investigation is still open.

Malibu mayor Rick Mullen says what the electric company really is trying to do here … is reduce its potential liability for fires that it could have prevented.

The state has ordered Edison to meet with affected communities to explain their new policies on shutting off electricity … which have yet to be publicly released.

Traffic lights will be going out … schools will close … and houses will go dark in wind storms … the Internet and phones will die … all communications out … under this plan.

The state has not required Edison to explain exactly what exactly will be the thresholds … how fast the winds will blow … before they turn off the power to Malibu.

Remember … the state standard used to be 92 mph.

The Edison Company has been given permission by the state to set its own standards now.

So … with zero publicity and at a time most of the city is on vacation … Edison will appear before a little noticed City Commission to explain its plan…  this afternoon at five.

And there … we will get our first look at exactly what the power company plans to do this fall when the winds blow.

Tonight at five at City Hall.

---

Those new state regulations that allow electrical blackouts were approved by the Public Utilities Commission last July 12th.

And under state law … the Commission was supposed to publicize the new regulations and allow the public to comment on them.

Turns out … the commission did not send out notices anywhere in Southern California Edison territory.

Except Edison attorneys and employees.

The new blackout regulations are based on San Diego gas and electric blackout procedures … approved in 2012 for the rural … lightly-populated backcountry of San Diego County.

The commission decided to extend those regulations to cities state wide … but only notified people in San Diego County … about the pending changes … which effect every part of Californoa … ecept San Diego County.

Although the blackout plan has been approved … and Edison is already implementing it … a Malibu interest has asked the commission to reopen the case.

That request … filed by KBUU radio …

It notes that the proposed regulations were not publicized in Edison service territory area … and that these state has given the power company complete authority to change state deliver standards for the entire state …  without giving people the opportunity to comment on the policy change..

We of course note the conflict of interest in reporting the story … and we will get Southern California Edison’s statement when officials appear at the meeting tonight.

Again … the Southern California Edison blackout plan goes before the city public safety commission tonight at five at Malibu City Hall.