Edison Warns California Customers of Power Shutoff on Fire Risk
- Utility says it may need to cut power to prevent wildfires
- State already faces threat of rolling blackouts due to heat
California is in its fourth consecutive day of a grid emergency caused by triple-digit heat.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Edison International warned that its southern California utility may need to shut off power to 50,000 homes and businesses to prevent wildfires, even as a record-breaking heat wave threatens the state with rolling blackouts.
Southern California Edison tweeted Thursday that “public safety power shutoffs,” as such intentional power cuts are called, may be necessary due to hot weather gripping the state. The company’s website showed most of the customers who could be affected are in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties but did not say when the cuts could hit.