Southern California Edison Town Hall - March 13, 2025

The City of Villa Park hosted a town hall meeting with Southern California Edison (SCE) representatives to address community concerns regarding Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) and related outages. SCE officials provided an overview of PSPS protocols, grid hardening efforts including the installation of covered conductors, and the challenges posed by high fire risk conditions and extreme weather. They discussed the extensive infrastructure in high fire risk areas and the criteria used to determine when power shutoffs are necessary to prevent wildfires. The meeting also covered customer preparedness programs, communication challenges during PSPS events, and ongoing efforts to improve notification systems. Residents expressed frustration over prolonged outages, inconsistent power restoration, and perceived lack of responsiveness. SCE acknowledged these issues and committed to continued grid improvements, better segmentation of circuits to minimize outages, and enhanced communication strategies. The city plans to distribute the presentation and video to residents and encouraged ongoing dialogue to address concerns.