The CPUC determined that regulatory violations involving SDGE's power lines caused the most destructive of last year's devastating San Diego County fires. The Witch Creek fire combined with the Guejito fire and killed two people, burned almost 200,000 acres, and destroyed 1,141 homes. The Rice Canyon fire burned almost 9,500 acres and destroyed more than 200 houses.

Rather than address the real problems that caused the 2007 wildfires, SDG&E has asked the CPUC to approve, through an informal process, blanket authority to cut off power to backcountry ratepayers when SDG&E determines dangerous dry and windy conditions exist.

Affected schools, water districts and other ratepayers sternly objected at the CPUC's October 14 hearing inviting public comment on the 2007 San Diego fires.

The proposal raises major logistical issues. Without power the schools have to contact parents and send children home. Water districts and private wells need power to pump water that firefighters can use to fight wildfires. Medical baseline customers cannot be without for extended periods without endangering their health.

Michael Shames, UCAN's Executive Director, in a protest letter to the CPUC, opposes immediate implementation of SDGE's controversial plan because the "proposal raises some very complex and important policy issues" better suited to formal review by the CPUC.

UCAN's protest letter raises several issues ripe for CPUC review including:

1. Offering an inferior quality of service to backcountry customers whose power could be interrupted at any time without charging lower rates.
2. Impacting customers who can’t be subjected to interruptibility such as school, water and hospital districts, as well as medical baseline customers or those dependent upon electric wells.
3. Preventing affected residents from receiving timely evacuation information from existing media news sources and via IP-based or cable phone service. 
4. Protecting SDG&E from all potential liability for cutting power.

The CPUC welcomes public comments at sd2007fires@cpuc.ca.gov 

Related links

UCAN's protest letter to the CPUC

SDG&E blamed for wildfires in legal action

SDG&E faces rising tide of lawsuits over '07 fires

Fire plan by SDG&E criticized at hearing

REGION: Water districts protest SDG&E plan

SDG&E misreading rule, water districts say