SCE Achieves Wildfire Mitigation Work Milestone to Reduce Ignition Risk While Keeping Communities Safe
July 12 2022 - 4:30PM
Business Wire
- Continues to prioritize covered conductor deployment to
significantly reduce the risk of wildfires associated with
electrical equipment, with more than 3,500 miles installed to
date
- Plans to complete about 6,500 miles of covered conductor
deployment by the end of 2024
Southern California Edison estimates that it has reduced the
probability of losses from catastrophic wildfires associated with
SCE’s infrastructure by 65% to 70% compared to pre-2018 levels. The
ongoing deployment of covered conductor and other grid hardening
measures, enhanced inspections, expanded vegetation management and
more targeted use of Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) allowed
the company to achieve this significant reduction in wildfire risk.
SCE expects to further reduce risk and decrease the need for PSPS
with continued grid hardening investments.
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SCE's Wildfire Mitigation Milestones
(Graphic: Business Wire)
SCE reached a milestone with the replacement of more than 3,500
miles of bare wire with covered conductor in areas that face high
risk of wildfire. A key benefit of covered conductor is the
relatively faster speed at which it can be installed to achieve
immediate wildfire risk reduction. The expeditious work has enabled
the company to reach this milestone in just over 3 1/2 years since
it began installations in late 2018. About 40% of SCE’s overhead
distribution power lines in high fire risk areas, or 4,000 of about
10,000 miles, are slated to be covered by the end of the year.
“We continue to prioritize the use of covered conductor and plan
to maintain deployment in 2023 and 2024,” said Steve Powell,
president and CEO of SCE. “Covered conductor is a critical tool to
quickly mitigate the threat of wildfires that could be caused by
debris blowing into power lines. Safety is our number one priority
and covered conductor helps keep our communities safe.”
SCE’s grid hardening work is easing the burden on customers
impacted by PSPS. The company plans to complete expedited grid
hardening work on over 50 additional circuits this year, including
installing more than 150 miles of covered conductor, along with
more sectionalizing devices and weather stations. On these 50
circuits, the company expects an incremental 60% reduction in PSPS
outage time compared to the last two years, assuming the same
weather and fuel conditions.
"We know covered conductor does what it is designed to do,”
Powell said. “For example, during significant wind events in
November 2021, SCE crews discovered tree branches that had fallen
on energized power lines that had been replaced with covered
conductor. Our customers on that segment of the circuit did not
experience a power outage and, most importantly, a potential
wildfire was avoided.”
As part of its refined Integrated Grid Hardening Strategy, and
consistent with the company’s 2022 Wildfire Mitigation Plan Update,
SCE plans to install even more covered conductor. By the end of
2024, SCE plans to have completed approximately 6,500 miles of
covered conductor, or about two-thirds of its overhead distribution
miles in high fire risk areas.
“Our lineworkers understand that a reliable and resilient
electric system benefits everyone given the ongoing threat of
wildfires. They always keep safety top of mind as they complete
this work, in the communities where many of them also live,” said
Colin Lavin, business manager and financial secretary for IBEW
Local 47.
“Our crews have continued to work hard to make our communities
safer, even during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic while also
improving resilience against heat waves and other weather events,”
said Powell. “They have done an extraordinary job and remain
committed to getting this critical work done expeditiously and
understand how important it is for our customers to have safe and
reliable electricity.”
Visit Edison.com/wildfire-safety for more information regarding
SCE’s Wildfire Mitigation Plan.
Additional information about risks and uncertainties is
contained in SCE’s 2021 Form 10-K filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, including the “Risk Factors” section.
About Southern California Edison
An Edison International (NYSE: EIX) company, Southern California
Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a
population of approximately 15 million via 5 million customer
accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central,
Coastal and Southern California.
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Media Contact: Reggie Kumar (626) 302-2255 Investor Relations:
Sam Ramraj (626) 302-2540
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