The Facts on Transmission Line Inspections

You may have seen the Los Angeles Times article "Regulators criticized Edison's wildfire safety actions months before deadly Eaton fire." The article mischaracterizes a regulatory report about Southern California Edison's Wildfire Mitigation Plan. Here is where they got the story wrong:

Transmission line inspections

SCE exceeded the target number of transmission inspections in high fire risk areas, consistent with its state-approved wildfire mitigation plans for each year from 2021 to 2024 and contrary to the impression left by the Los Angeles Times. It is also important to note that the decision by the California Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety, or OEIS, was not an assessment of inspections performed in 2024; it addressed a request by SCE to reduce the number of certain transmission inspections for 2025 so SCE could prioritize based on wildfire risk.

Splice assessments

SCE proactively initiated a Transmission Conductor Splice Assessment on its own as opposed to being required to do so. Under that initiative, SCE inspected splices via X-rays, which detect more detail than visual inspections performed by air or ground. The X-ray inspection program complements visual inspections with a method that can detect conditions the naked eye cannot. SCE reported the initial results of the Transmission Conductor Splice Assessment in its 2025 Wildfire Mitigation Plan Update. After reviewing the initial results, OEIS determined that SCE had made progress with respect to report findings from the ongoing splice assessment.

Wildfire Mitigation Plan

Disappointingly, the article mentions only in passing the significant progress the company has made in wildfire mitigation. SCE has reduced the risk of catastrophic wildfire ignited by its equipment by 85% to 90% compared with pre-2018 levels by following its Wildfire Mitigation Plans. To achieve this notable risk reduction, SCE has hardened over 6,000 miles of overhead power lines with covered conductor and has deployed more than 1,760 weather stations and more than 190 HD cameras in its high fire risk areas. In 2024, SCE spent more than $1.8 billion mitigating wildfire risks, including inspecting and upgrading transmission and distribution infrastructure more frequently than required by state regulators. The company has collaborated with regulators and experts to develop, submit and obtain consistent year-over-year approval of its Wildfire Mitigation Plans. The bottom line is the 14,000 people of Southern California Edison are completely dedicated to keeping the communities they serve safe and will continue to do so.