CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 09/15/2026
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Regular Business
AGENDA TITLE:
Consider receiving a status report from Southern California Edison (SCE) regarding power outages and mitigation measures in certain City neighborhoods.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1) Receive and file a status report from Southern California Edison (SCE) providing a status update on the frequency of power outages and long-term measures to mitigate frequent and prolonged power outages in the Grandview Estates, Grandpoint Lane, and the Rolling Riviera neighborhoods.
FISCAL IMPACT: None
Amount Budgeted: N/A
Additional Appropriation: N/A
Account Number(s): N/A
ORIGINATED BY: Irantzu Pujadas, Administrative Analyst IP REVIEWED BY: Catherine Jun, Deputy City Manager CJ
APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, City Manager
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
A. SCE Summary of Outage Activity (Page A-1)
B. SCE Quicksilver Circuit Project (Page B-1)
C. August 6, 2024 City Council staff report (Linked)
D. February 6, 2024 City Council staff report (Linked)
E. December 19, 2023 City Council staff report (Linked) F. December 5, 2023 City Council staff report (Linked)
G. October 17, 2023 City Council staff report (Linked)
H. October 3, 2023 City Council staff report (Linked)
I. August 1, 2023 City Council staff report (Linked)
J. June 6, 2023 City Council staff report (Linked)
K. April 4, 2023 City Council staff report (Linked)
1 BACKGROUND:
SCE power outages, especially in the Grandview Estates area, have been a longstanding concern for Rancho Palos Verdes residents and the City Council. The frequency and severity of the outages in the Grandview Estates area became more prominent in 2020 following a series of heat-related outages. In early 2023, extreme weather conditions resulted in extended outages in the area lasting up to two days, prompting numerous calls and emails from residents regarding the reliability of electrical service and concerns for vulnerable residents, including seniors, individuals dependent on medical equipment, and families with young children.
On August 6, 2024, the City Council received a presentation from SCE regarding the recurring outages and SCE’s proposed response. Following the presentation, the City Council and residents requested that SCE provide short- and long-term plans to address the underlying causes of the outages and improve system reliability in certain vulnerable neighborhoods in the City (Attachment C).
Since the last update, the City continues to coordinate with SCE regarding these concerns and Mayor Seo has requested updated information regarding the frequency, duration, and locations of recent outages, as well as any completed or planned infrastructure improvements and mitigation measures. Prior SCE updates and related correspondence are provided in Attachments C through K.
DISCUSSION:
Ongoing power outages remain a concern for the City Council especially in the Grandview Estates area, and more recently in the Grandpoint Lane and Rolling Riviera neighborhoods. Residents in these neighborhoods have experienced power outages and raised concerns regarding the reliability of electrical service.
According to an April 2026 email provided by the City’s SCE government affairs representative, David Meza, a summary of outage activity between 2020 and 2026 was provided (Attachment A). According to SCE’s review of outage activity from 2020 through 2026, the referenced Grandview Estates area experienced eight unplanned outages or service interruptions resulting from a variety of causes commonly associated with electric distribution systems, including animal contact, vegetation, foreign object contact, and equipment-related events. Most outages were restored within approximately 90 minutes or less.
Specifically, outage causes that were identified included:
• Animal contact (1 event) — wildlife contact with overhead electrical equipment • Vegetation/cause not found (2 events) — vegetation, such as palm fronds, contacting lines, or brief events where patrol identified no damage • Foreign object contact (1 event) — Mylar balloon contacting overhead facilities 2 • Equipment-related events (4 events)
• April 2020 – Overhead conductor
• August 2022 – Underground cable
• January 2023 – Underground elbow connection (area-wide outage) • July 2024 – Overhead conductor
Based on this review, SCE indicated that the outage activity does not demonstrate a systemic reliability concern affecting the circuits serving this portion of the community.
At the time of preparation of this staff report, additional information regarding the power outages affecting Grandpoint Lane and Rolling Riviera neighborhoods was not made available by SCE as requested on numerous occasions. Staff will continue to follow up with SCE in advance of the September 15 meeting. Any additional information received by SCE between transmittal of this staff report and the September 15 meeting will be provided to the City Council as late correspondence.
Lastly, SCE provided an overview of the Quicksilver Circuit Project which focused on upgrading electric wire with covered conductor within the Grandview Estates neighborhood (Attachment B). In April 2026, SCE and City Light & Power (CLP) hosted a briefing with the Palos Verdes Peninsula cities and first responders regarding the Quicksilver Circuit Project, which includes upgrading existing electrical infrastructure with covered conductor utilizing a helicopter in certain areas. The project includes multiple phases, with future work anticipated in Rancho Palos Verdes’ Montemalaga Drive and Indian Peak.
SCE representative, David Meza, has been invited to attend and present a report to the City Council at the September 15 meeting. To date, it is Staff’s understanding that he will be in attendance to address any questions the City Council may have.
CONCLUSION:
Following SCE’s verbal report tonight, Staff recommends the City Council receive and file SCE’s report regarding power outages in the Grandview Estates, Grandpoint Lane, and Rolling Riviera and its long-term action plan and timeline for addressing power grid issues.
ALTERNATIVES:
In addition to Staff’s Recommendations, the following alternative actions are available for the City Council’s consideration:
1) Do not receive and file this report, and request additional information about the recent outages from SCE.
2) Take other action as deemed appropriate.
3 Irantzu Pujadas
Subject: FW: (External):Re: (Follow up) Meeting: SCE/RPV Mayor, RPV CM From: David Meza <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2026 1:58 PM
To: Irantzu Pujadas <[email protected]>
Subject: FW: (External):Re: (Follow up) Meeting: SCE/RPV Mayor, RPV CM EXTERNAL EMAIL: Do not click links or open any attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe!!!.
Hi Irantzu,
Below is the summary I sent in March of this year to Mayor Seo and Ara regarding reliability in the Grandview area.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Best,
-David Meza
From: David Meza
Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2026 5:47 PM
To: Paul Seo <[email protected]>
Cc: Ara Mihranian <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: (External):Re: (Follow up) Meeting: SCE/RPV Mayor, RPV CM Dear Mayor Seo,
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the electrical infrastructure and reliability in the Grandview and Western Avenue corridor areas of Rancho Palos Verdes.
In response to your questions, our team reviewed the circuits serving the Grandview area, including the Quicksilver 16 kV circuit, which serves the Silver Spur Elementary School area and surrounding neighborhoods. Based on this review, reliability in this area is comparable to similar circuits across Southern California Edison’s service territory.
Summary of Outage Activity (2020–2026)
A-1
A review of outage activity associated with the referenced area identified eight unplanned outages or service interruptions during this period. These events occurred for reasons commonly seen in electric distribution systems.
General causes identified include:
• Animal contact (1 event) — wildlife contact with overhead electrical equipment • Vegetation/cause not found (2 events) — vegetation, such as palm fronds, contacting lines, or brief events where patrol identified no damage
• Foreign object contact (1 event) — Mylar balloon contacting overhead facilities • Equipment-related events (4 events)
• April 2020 – Overhead conductor
• August 2022 – Underground cable
• January 2023 – Underground elbow connection (area-wide outage) • July 2024 – Overhead conductor
Most outages during this period were restored in approximately 90 minutes or less.
While any outage can be disruptive, the outage activity observed during this review does not indicate a systemic reliability concern affecting the circuits serving this portion of the community.
Supporting Infrastructure Improvements
In addition to routine maintenance and vegetation management, Southern California Edison continues to invest in grid improvements across Rancho Palos Verdes. Current and planned work includes:
• Covered conductor installation —approximately 3.5 miles planned on the Quicksilver circuit • Circuit reconductoring — approximately 0.94 miles planned on the Jupiter circuit • Circuit modernization and automation — automation installations on the Tandem circuit • Distribution system upgrades —planned 4 kV to 16 kV conversions associated with the Bluff Cove substation area, which increase capacity, improve operational flexibility, and enhance reliability across portions of the local distribution system.
These upgrades are part of broader efforts to modernize the distribution grid and strengthen reliability for customers across the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
Sincerely,
David Meza
Government Relations Manager
Public Affairs
A-2
E: [email protected]
###
A-3
Developing Utility Solutions
April 13th, 2026
Dear Neighbor,
As part of our Southern California Edison’s (SCE) long-term plan to modernize the energy grid and reduce wildfire risk, we will be making upgrades in your area. City Light & Power will be performing this work in your neighborhood. Every contractor working for SCE is licensed and bonded and required to follow all Edison and Governmental regulations and are expected to follow each city’s requirements. Road closures, overnight work, helicopter activities or temporary scheduled outages may be necessary to complete this project as safely and quickly as possible.
Why is this work being performed?
The collective goal is to provide safe, reliable energy. Achieving this involves equipment upgrades to maintain a modern grid.
When is the work scheduled to occur?
• The project is estimated to last from March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027 • Work will typically be scheduled for days, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Where is the work area?
The work area is included in the boundary map below along locations marked with a red “X” :
As we upgrade the electrical system in your area, heavy equipment will be involved, including cranes and helicopters.
We will provide traffic control if and when necessary. Evacuations will be required for helicopter work.
City Light & Power, Inc.
454 E. Artesia
Long Beach, Ca 90805
B-1
We Will Be in Your Neighborhood to Upgrade Equipment (continued) What to expect:
• For crew safety, we may schedule temporary maintenance outages during construction. Multiple outages may be required to complete the work. We will attempt to notify you by phone, text, email, or mail at least 72 hours prior to outages.
• Work crews may require access to electrical equipment on your property. Unless they notice an immediate safety concern, we will attempt to notify you before entering your property. • To ensure your safety during construction, there may be traffic lane and sidewalk closures, as well as designated "No Parking" areas. There may also be street closures and detours, depending on permit requirements. Crews will use appropriate traffic control signs and flags. • We will notify you of construction work by providing additional communications, such as door hangers, traffic signs, and/or No parking signs.
• To minimize traffic and outage impacts, some work will be conducted during permitted nighttime hours. • There may be noise related to construction work during operating hours. • Crews may have to dig, trim, or remove trees and other plant material to safely access equipment.
How to prepare:
Log into your SCE My Account and visit the Customer Preference Center at sce.com/mysce/preference-center to set your outage notification preferences. You can choose to receive notifications via text, email, or voice. Also, review your contact information to make sure it's correct, and update it as needed.
To learn more about outage preparedness, check your outage status, access additional resources, and view an outage map, visit https://www.sce.com/outages-safety/outage-center/check-outage-status. If you experience an extended outage, you may be able to take advantage of special programs. For details, visit sce.com/customerresources.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work on grid improvements to continually provide you with safe, reliable energy.
For more information, please contact the following:
Mike Thomas: (949)-302-4978
City Light and Power (SCE Approved Contractor)
Sincerely,
Henoch Carrillo
Project General Supervisor
Southern California Edison – Metro West Region
• If you have any questions, please visit our website: sce.com/upgrades • SCE will provide the latest information about outages at sce.com/outage • For emergencies or downed power lines, please dial 911 • For SCE Customer Service, please dial 1-800-655-4555
B-2