Utility Public Safety Power Shutoff Plans (De-Energization)
Utilities may temporarily turn off power to specific areas to reduce the risk of fires caused by electric infrastructure. This action is called a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) or “de-energization.”
- Public Briefings on Utility Preparedness for 2022 Public Safety Power Shutoffs
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), in ongoing efforts to hold utilities accountable for executing safe and appropriate Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events, is requiring the state’s electric utilities to publicly present on their preparedness for PSPS events in 2022 at two virtual briefings, as follows:
WHEN:
- August 1, 2022, 1– 5 p.m.: Southern California Edison (SCE), San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), and Bear Valley Electric Service
- August 2, 2022, 9 a.m.– 1 p.m.: Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), PacifiCorp, and Liberty Utilities
WHAT: The electric utilities will provide updates on the status of preparation efforts and coordination with public safety partners, critical infrastructure and facilities, and customers, including those most vulnerable or with access and functional needs. The utilities will present on efforts to mitigate customer impacts and will identify changes to processes or operations in 2022 based on lessons learned.
WHY: The CPUC is requiring the electric utilities to publicly present on their preparedness for PSPS events in 2022. The CPUC oversees the utilities’ preparation for and execution of PSPS events and has been driving the utilities to improve in response to lessons learned from previous PSPS events. The electric utilities submitted 2022 PSPS Pre-Season reports to the CPUC on July 1, 2022. The reports included specific plans for Community Resource Centers, critical facilities, PSPS exercises, education and outreach-related surveys and accessibility efforts, notifications, highest risk circuits, and identified lessons learned from 2021.
Meeting Documents
- Feb. 23 and 25, 2022: Public Briefings on Utility Execution of 2021 PSPS Events
- Media Advisory
- Agenda
- Presentations
- Nov. 10, 2021: Electric Utility Safety Update Public Briefing
- Aug. 25, 2021: Public Meeting on Utility Safety Practices
- Aug. 2-4, 2021: Public Briefings on Utility Readiness for 2021 Public Safety Power Shutoffs
- Media Advisory
- Monday, August 2, 2021, 2 - 5 p.m.: San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)
- Tuesday, August 3, 2021, 9 a.m. - noon: Southern California Edison (SCE)
- Tuesday, August 3, 2021, 1 - 4 p.m.: Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)
- Wednesday, August 4, 2021, 9 a.m.- noon: Small Multi-Jurisdictional Utilities (Bear Valley Electric Service, Liberty Utilities, and PacifiCorp
- Apr. 20, 2021: CPUC Tree Overstrike Workshop on PG&E’s Proposed Implementation of Proposed Probation Conditions in its PSPS Program
- Mar. 29, 2021: Joint IOU 2020 PSPS Workshop
- Mar. 26, 2021: Meeting on Wildfire Risk Analysis Results
- Mar. 1, 2021: SCE 2020 PSPS Corrective Action Plan Meeting
- Jan. 26, 2021: SCE Meeting on Execution of 2020 PSPS Events
- Media Advisory
- Agenda
- SCE Presentation
- Webcast Recording
- Jan. 19, 2021: President Batjer's Letter to SCE
- Jan. 22, 2021: SCE's Reply Letter
- Feb. 12, 2021: SCE's Correction Action Plan
- Media Advisory
- Aug. 13, 2020: PG&E PSPS Public Briefing
- Aug. 11, 2020: SCE PSPS Public Briefing
- Aug. 10, 2020: SDG&E PSPS Public Briefing
PSPS Preparation
Electric Utility 2022 Staff Briefings for Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) Preparation
Utilities presented Staff Briefings to CPUC staff in July 2022 on their preparedness for PSPS events. The six electric utilities that provide power in California presented their preparation plans to CPUC staff. These Staff Briefings will inform the utilities' Public Briefings on August 1 and August 2, 2022.
SCE Preparations for PSPS
PG&E Preparations for PSPS
SDG&E Preparations for PSPS
SMJU (PacifiCorp, Liberty, Bear Valley) Preparations for PSPS
Staff Briefing Presentation – PacifiCorp
Staff Briefing Presentation- Liberty Utilities
Staff Briefing Presentation- Bear Valley
Electric Utility 2021 Staff Briefings for Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) Preparation
Utilities presented Staff Briefings to CPUC staff in June/July 2021 on their preparedness for PSPS events. Six electric utilities provide power in California. Five of the six utilities presented their plans to the CPUC staff in Staff Briefing #1. Following that briefing, utilities responded to staff data requests in Staff Briefing #2.
PG&E Preparations for PSPS
SDG&E Preparations for PSPS
SMJU (PacifiCorp, Liberty, Bear Valley) Preparations for PSPS
Electric Utility 2020 Planning for Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS)
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)’s biweekly reports on PSPS preparation as ordered by President Batjer in a January 30, 2020 ruling are filed in the Commission’s rulemaking addressing de-energization for all electric utilities. Visit the Docket Card (R.18-12-005) to view PG&E’s biweekly reports (and other proceeding documents) and make comment on the proceeding.
History and Background
Over the last decade, California has experienced increased, intense, and record-breaking wildfires in Northern and Southern California. These fires have resulted in a devastating loss of life and billions of dollars in property and infrastructure damage. Electric utility infrastructure has historically been responsible for less than 10% of reported wildfires. However, fires attributed to power lines consist of roughly half of California history’s most destructive fires. With the continuing threat of wildfire, utilities may proactively cut power to electrical lines that may fail in certain weather conditions. Such power cuts reduce the risk of their infrastructure to cause or contribute to a wildfire. This effort is called a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS). However, a PSPS can leave communities and essential facilities without power, which brings its own risks and hardships, particularly for vulnerable communities and individuals. From 2013 to the end of 2019, California experienced over 57,000 wildfires (averaging 8,000 per year), and the three large energy companies conducted 33 PSPS de-energizations.
In 2012, we ruled that California Public Utilities Code Sections 451 and 399.2(a) give electric utilities authority to shut off the electric power to protect public safety. This allows the energy companies (SDG&E, PG&E, SCE, Liberty, Bear Valley, and PacifiCorp) to shut off power to prevent fires when strong winds, heat events, and related conditions are present.
In 2017, fires raged in Santa Rosa, Los Angeles, and Ventura, making it one of California’s most devastating wildfire seasons. In response to the 2017 wildfires and Senate Bill (SB) 901, we revised earlier guidelines on the de-energization of power lines and adopted the most current set of PSPS guidelines on June 24, 2021 in Decision (D.) 21-06-034.
Related Information
August 31, 2021: President Batjer's letter to PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E and SMJUs re: August 2021 Public Safety Power Shutoff Public Briefings
- September 16, 2021: PG&E's Response Letter
- September 16, 2021: SCE's Response Letter
- September 16, 2021: SDG&E's Response Letter
- September 16, 2021: BVES's Response Letter
- September 16, 2021: Liberty Utilities Response Letter
- September 16, 2021: Pacific Power's Response Letter
June 25, 2021: Executive Director's Letter to PG&E re: Implementation of Tree Overstrike Criteria
Prior Actions
Jun. 28, 2021: CPUC Executive Director letter to PG&E on Tree Overstrike
Feb. 12, 2021: SCE's Correction Action Plan
Jan. 22, 2021: SCE Reply Letter to President Batjer
Jan. 19, 2021: CPUC President Marybel Batjer letter to SCE re: 2020 PSPS Events
Jan. 14, 2021: CPUC Adopts Strategies To Help Facilitate Commercialization of Microgrids Statewide
Sept. 8, 2020: PG&E Response Letter
Sept. 8, 2020: SCE Response Letter
Sept. 8, 2020: SDG&E Response Letter
Nov. 1, 2019: Consumer Protections and Resources for Wildfire Victims
Power Shutoff Planning
- Consumer Protections and Resources for Wildfire Victims
- Evolution of PSPS Guidelines
- Potential Impacts on Telephone Service during De-Energization
- Public Safety Power Shutoff PSPS FAQs
- Technosylva 2019 PSPS Event Wildfire Risk Analysis Reports
- Utility Company PSPS Reports: Post-Event, Post-Season and Pre-Season