California utilities have the authority to proactively de-energize their power-lines as a way to reduce the risk of wildfires in their service territories, albeit as a last resort. In 2020, wildfires burned more than 4 million acres of the state and SCE deployed 16 shut-offs between May and December, including on major holidays like Thanksgiving.
Earlier this month, CPUC President Marybel Batjer instructed executives at SCE to appear before the commission to address gaps in how the shutoffs were implemented, pointing to “numerous instances in which SCE’s PSPS execution appeared tactless, and in many regards, seemed deficient in meeting the standard its customers deserve.” In addition to problems with the utility’s notification and communication processes, her letter raised questions about the quality of its post-event reports to regulators.
