I am sure that we all have had our power shut off recently by Southern California Edison (SCE). There is a legitimate public safety concern that drives the shut offs. However, a monopoly provider of an essential service like electricity has a number of special responsibilities.
Two of those responsibilities are meaningful transparency and a plan to ensure that the safety of transmission facilities will soon be improved so shutoffs do not become the norm and an overused option for SCE.
Fortunately, last week, the California Public Utilities Commission, CalOES, and CalFire issued a formal notification to Southern California Edison to appear before the Commission to explain what has been going on. The Commission further lays down the requirement that SCE appear with a plan to ensure that the events of December and January don’t happen again. This hearing is a public event:
When: Tuesday, January 26 @ 2 p.m.
Where: Live video broadcast with English captions via webcast
There is also the option for public testimony at this hearing. You can call in at: 800-857-1917, passcode: 5180519# or access the information on the CPUC’s website.
Again, like you, I am always concerned about the dangers of wildfires, but our community needs SCE’s actions to be more transparent and deliberate than they currently appear to be. This Commission hearing is the first step to addressing those questions.
If you have any questions about this hearing or need any assistance with any state government issue, please contact my office. You can also follow the work we’re doing together in Sacramento on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Best,
Steve Bennett
Assemblymember, 37th District
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