The risk of catastrophic consequences in wildfire-prone areas of Southern California Edison’s territory should be reduced after the company completes its 2023-2025 wildfire mitigation strategy, which includes installing covered conductors, protective devices, and performing other grid hardening activities.
SCE said it has reduced the probability of catastrophic wildfires associated with its equipment by about 75%-80% since 2018 through proactive measures. The company’s new three-year wildfire plan outlines critical work ahead.
The wildfire mitigation plan (WMP) calls for the installation of more than more than 2,850 miles of covered conductor between 2023-25. By the end of 2025, SCE expects to have replaced more than 7,200 miles, or about 75%, of overhead distribution power lines in high fire risk areas with covered conductor. In addition, the utility said it will complete about 100 miles of undergrounding by 2025 to address the high risk presented by wildfires to certain communities with limited exit and entry points.
Other system hardening enhancements are the installation of fire-resistance poles and fast-acting fuses, which interrupt electrical current quickly and reduce the risk of ignitions when there is an electrical fault, such as when a tree falls on a power line during high winds. SCE plans to install or replace fuses at more than 500 locations in 2023. Also, remote-controlled sectionalizing devices that can segment or isolate portions of circuits during PSPS events will be installed. These should minimize the number of customers impacted.
“We understand the impact our customers in high fire risk areas have faced from the threat of wildfires and the PSPS program that prevents wildfires,” said Steven Powell, president & CEO of SCE.
The plan further outlines the continued use of drones and helicopters to inspect more than 250,000 structures each year in high-risk areas to determine the potential need for repair or replacement. Vegetation management also plays a key role in the WMP. SCE inspects 1.6 million trees across the service area annually and typically mitigates approximately 850,000 of those trees, it said in a factsheet. More than half are in high fire risk areas. In 2023, SCE plans to inspect over 130,000 trees that pose a threat of falling into SCE’s electrical equipment in the highest risk locations.
“Our 2023-25 plan builds on the significant progress of our wildfire mitigation program over the past four years — progress that is necessary as we witness the devastating effects of extreme weather,” said Jill Anderson, executive vice president of Operations for SCE.
Over the next plan period, SCE will continue to focus and prioritize much of the company’s efforts on vulnerable communities and those areas that have been impacted by PSPS, particularly for Access and Functional Needs customers, it said. SCE will also evaluate and refine its stakeholder coordination and customer outreach programs based on feedback received from these stakeholders.
Lastly, SCE is expanding its partnership with fire agencies in its service area by moving to a year-round Quick Reaction Force (QRF) of aerial firefighting resources. The QRF includes helitankers, reconnaissance aircraft and equipment to bolster firefighting. These capabilities help to reduce a fire’s consequences, provide service resilience to customers, and protect electrical infrastructure.
