High Heat Outages vs PSPS

Living in California has a lot of upsides - beautiful beaches, majestic mountains, and most of the time, an incredible climate.

But as extreme weather becomes more common, so does high heat and wind. The rising temperatures may lead to heat-related repair outages, and the elevated fire danger could create the need for Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS).

While both cause temporary power outages, there are key differences:

• Heat-related outages are unplanned emergency repairs caused by increased demand and strain on the electric grid and equipment.
• PSPS is a proactive denergization in targeted areas to reduce the risk of wildfires for community safety.

PSPS

During periods of elevated fire weather, Southern California Edison may proactively turn off power in high fire risk areas to reduce the risk of an equipment-caused ignition.

Determining whether PSPS is necessary depends on wind speeds, humidity levels, fuel dryness and other factors. SCE also relies on real-time weather reports from pole-mounted weather stations and real-time field observations to inform decision-making.

High Heat Outages

During high heat, repair outages may occur at any time and are not confined to specific areas. During periods of extreme heat, customers all over the state will be cranking their air conditioning and relying more heavily on electricity to stay cool.

Much like a car towing a trailer up a steep grade with the air conditioning on, internal temperatures will rise which can lead to issues like overheating.

When it comes to the grid, the increase in demand and warmer overnight temperatures do not allow equipment to rest, meaning there's a chance equipment can fail.

Restoration

Depending on the situation, outage times may vary. During repair outages, a troubleman is sent to the location to determine the problem. Then, a crew arrives, sets up and safely completes the work.

Restoration times during a PSPS event vary because crews must wait for weather conditions to improve, then patrol the circuit looking for any damage or hazards in the lines - including objects that may have been blown into equipment - before power can be safely restored.

These patrols can take time, as they need to be done either on foot, in a vehicle, by helicopter, or with a drone and rely on daylight to be completed safely. Customers can get more information and timely updates at sce.com/psps.

While PSPS and heat-related outages are different types of power disruptions, in both situations crews are monitoring conditions and ready to respond safely and quickly.

Tips to stay cool:

• Visit a cooling center that provides a safe, air-conditioned space to escape the heat.
• If you require electric-powered medical equipment or qualifying devices, sign up for the Medical Baseline Allowance.
• Close blinds and curtains at the start of hot days to keep indoor temperatures from rising quickly.
• Set your thermostat no lower than 78 degrees when you are home and to 85 degrees or "off" when you are away.
• Use fans, which consume much less energy than AC. Fans allow you to raise your thermostat by two degrees while maintaining the same comfort level. Turn off fans when leaving the room.
• Keep interior doors open to maximize air flow when using central AC. For mini-splits, window and portable units, closing doors and turning off cooling systems in unoccupied spaces help with efficiency.
• Consider no-oven or no-stovetop meals to keep kitchen areas from getting too hot; or cook meals earlier in the day and re-heat using a microwave or toaster oven.

To check on outages in your area, visit SCE's outage map.