Teams ready to respond during heatwave

With extreme temperatures expected across much of Southern California Edison’s service area this weekend and next, SCE crews are prepared to respond to power outages caused by potentially record-breaking heat. Temperatures are expected to climb 10 to 15 degrees above average in many areas.

In recent years, SCE has added an unprecedented amount of battery energy storage to its electricity supply, helping to reduce electricity demand in the late afternoon and early evening.

However, several consecutive days of high heat, as well as higher-than-usual nighttime temperatures, can lead to power outages as electrical equipment fails to cool sufficiently between periods of high use. Conserving energy during the hottest parts of the day, in the afternoon and early evening, will help ease the strain, saving energy and money on your next bill.

“This is the first major and prolonged heat wave of the year and we urge our customers to be prepared with emergency supplies in the event of a power outage,” said Tom Jacobus, SCE’s senior director of business resilience. “We have teams deployed throughout our service area and are coordinating our efforts with local city and county officials and other utilities.”

No public safety power outages are expected this week, but fire risk will increase due to heat and dry vegetation. SCE reminds customers to be especially careful if using fireworks during the July 4 celebration.