SDG&E to replace some wooden power poles

Photo: ginsnob/Flicker

San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) is hoping to receive approval of their plan to turn off the electricity to large sections of San Diego County during periods of high fire danger. Some have complained that this is primarily a strategy that is less expensive than to harden their infrastructure against strong winds.

But they are taking a small step in the right direction, in that they are replacing some of their wooden power poles with steel poles. They already have about 700 steel poles and expect to replace 1,200 wooden poles in 2009. Ultimately they have plans to replace some poles in the communities of Alpine, Valley Center, Escondido, El Cajon, and Bonita.

That is the good news. The rest of the story is that they have 75,000 wooden poles in areas defined as “high” and “very high” fire risk by CalFire.  At the current rate of replacement, all of those wooden poles would be replaced by 2071.

California state regulators halt power company’s power shutoff plan

The California Public Utilities Commission issued a temporary order blocking the plan by San Diego Gas and Electric to preemptively shut off the electricity for up to 150,000 people at a time when the fire danger meets their predetermined criteria. SDG&E had expected to implement the plan on September 1, but the commission put a halt to it at least until they can meet on September 10.

Photo: ginsnob / Flickr

The power company has said shutting off the electricity during dry and windy conditions would prevent fires that could be started by their power lines. Many groups are opposed to the plan, including schools, water districts, and disabled people who rely on life-sustaining equipment. One study found that there are 900 people in the affected area with chronic medical problems. Of those, 590 rely on electrical equipment for thier well being.

SDG&E’s outage plan

SDG&E expects to implement power shut-off plan during high fire danger

San Diego Gas and Electric Company said yesterday they will implement their preemptive power shut-off plan during periods of high fire danger in San Diego County. They made their announcement after the California Public Utilities Commission said they would not be able to rule on SDG&E’s plan before the Santa Ana wind season starts in September.


SDG&E proposed their plan in October after investigators blamed their power lines for starting three massive wildfires in 2007. If implemented, electricity for up to 150,000 people could be shut off.

According to their plan, in order to shut off electricty all of the following criteria would have to be met :

  • a red-flag warning from the National Weather Service;
  • moisture at or below 10 percent in twigs and 75 percent or less in live plants;
  • relative humidity at or below 20 percent; and
  • sustained winds over 29 mph, or gusts above 47 mph accompanied by sustained winds over 24 mph.

After having worked as a wildland firefighter in San Diego County for 16 years, I am estimating that these conditions would be met at least once or twice each year between September and November.

Firefighting agencies have not taken a stand on the proposal, but it is opposed by local government officials, water districts, schools, disability advocates, and cable and telephone companies.

Power company agrees to pay $686 million for fires

San Diego Gas and Electric, SDG&E, whose power lines started three huge fires in southern California in 2007, has agreed to pay $686 million to insurance companies that paid claims to their customers for the Witch Creek, Guejito and Rice Canyon fires.

Here are some excerpts from the Union-Tribune:

The money will be paid directly from SDG&E’s own liability insurance carriers to 65 homeowners insurance companies. About 20 more insurance companies are still in negotiations with SDG&E, the utility said, and the final settlement could reach $900 million.

“SDG&E does not acknowledge any fault or liability,” [SDG&E spokesperson Stephanie Donavan]  said. The fires were caused, she said, by the extreme weather conditions that existed in late October 2007. Donovan said the company thought the settlement was prudent, in part to spare the expense of a lengthy trial.

Combined, the Witch Creek, Guejito and Rice Canyon fires killed two people and destroyed more than 1,300 homes in Ramona, Fallbrook, Rancho Bernardo, Poway, Rancho Santa Fe and other communities.

Two state investigations found that arcing SDG&E power lines started each fire. The investigations also blamed, in part, Cox Communications equipment for starting the Guejito fire, which is believed to have been the blaze that burned into Rancho Bernardo before merging with the Witch Creek fire.

Donovan said that as part of the settlement, SDG&E has bought the claims that the insurance companies have against Cox and said the utility will aggressively seek compensation from Cox in a lawsuit that has already been brought.

So the fires were caused by “extreme weather conditions”? Does she mean lightning? No. Strong winds exposed weaknesses in the design and maintenance of the power lines.

Power company continues move toward fire prevention related power cut off

San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) has been lobbying the Public Utilities Commission for permission to cut off power to much of San Diego County during periods of strong winds.  They look at this as a less expensive alternative to making their powerlines more resistant to causing fires.

Here is an excerpt from an article in the San Diego Union-Tribune by Onell R. Soto.

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After months of listening to telephone companies, water districts and disability-rights advocates criticize a plan to cut off power to parts of San Diego County during fire weather, state regulators are set to hear from the public.

The California Public Utilities Commission will consider opinions from residents this week on whether to approve a controversial proposal that San Diego Gas & Electric says will reduce the risk of fire when the weather is dry and windy.

“Everybody’s worried about it,” said Lisa Darroch, a Jamul mother who is worried about children being in school without power or communication on hot days. “What’s going to happen to our kids?”

Darroch plans to testify at a hearing in Alpine on Tuesday night. A second hearing is scheduled for Wednesday in Valley Center

The brown areas are under consideration for power shut offs during strong winds. Map: San Diego Union-Tribune

The plan could affect nearly 150,000 people, including residents of Fallbrook, Escondido, Poway, Lakeside, Ramona and Alpine.

Power would be cut when the National Weather Service declares a red-flag warning; humidity is below 21 percent; moisture in dead plants is 10 percent or less and in living plants 75 percent or less; and sustained winds are above 34 mph or are gusting above 54 mph, with sustained winds above 29 mph.

The shut-offs, lasting up to 72 hours, are needed to prevent power lines from arcing in high winds and sparking massive wildfires of the sort that swept through the county in 2003 and 2007, Donovan said.

Opponents have raised a variety of concerns in recent filings with the PUC.

School officials said they would have to cancel classes if they don’t have electricity. Disability advocates said people who rely on power for medical equipment would have health problems.

Water districts warned they would be unable to pump water for firefighters, and recalled how Ramona residents were not allowed back home for a week after the 2007 fires because a crucial pumping station lacked power.

AT&T said cell phone and land-line service would be lost after a few hours – even outside the affected area – as backup batteries run out of juice. And cable companies said people would lose a link to the outside world, television and the Internet.

All of them said they would face increased costs as a result of SDG&E’s proposals, whether from spending millions of dollars for diesel-powered generators or, in the case of schools, losing state funds because students miss class.

“I have never seen quite as broad a coalition uniformly opposed to an SDG&E proposal,” said Michael Shames, executive director of UCAN, the nonprofit Utility Consumers’ Action Network.

Shames said he’s against the plan because it might increase fire risk rather than reduce it. People are more likely to use candles, cook with fire and mess up while using a generator if they don’t have power, he said.