LOS ANGELES—Thousands of Southland residents were suffering power outages Feb. 25 as a historic winter storm pummels the area, and some customers might not have their electricity restored until late Saturday or Sunday, utility officials said. Both the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and Southern California Edison were reporting multiple large outages…

Many Californians will see their next utility bill decrease by up to $120, after the state’s Public Utilities Commission voted last week to accelerate the rollout of its annual so-called “climate credit.” A credit of $90 to $120 will automatically show up as soon as possible on the bills of residential customers who receive both…

Southern California Edison (SCE), the primary electricity supply company in the region, is facing another lawsuit from families affected by the Fairview Fire last month in Riverside County, alleging the utility’s “negligence” sparked the fire. The blaze—which burned over 28,000 acres—broke out Sept. 5 in Hemet during a severe heatwave, killing two and forcing thousands…

Commentary Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) arrived on the scene promising to out-green and underprice Southern California Edison (Edison) with a new way of serving Orange County’s electricity consumers. The agency immediately engaged in what many have called personnel miscues, financial shell games, and energy green-washing. OCPA now faces audits from the City of Irvine,…

California’s Joint Legislative Audit Committee has agreed to audit the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA), a recently formed energy provider embroiled in a whistleblower complaint. State Sen. Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana) announced the upcoming audit as the agency deals with allegations of mismanagement, inaction, and lack of transparency. “It’s clear that OCPA has had little oversight,”…

As temperatures in Laguna Beach, California, reached 91 degrees on Labor Day, Sept. 5, residents reported power outages affecting thousands of homes in the city during the peak heat of the day. Just the day before, the temperature soared to 106 degrees by 11 a.m. The power outage was initially reported on Monday, Sept. 5,…

As temperatures in Laguna Beach, California, reached 91 degrees on Labor Day, Sept. 5, residents reported power outages affecting thousands of homes in the city during the peak heat of the day. Just the day before, the temperature soared to 106 degrees by 11 a.m. The power outage was initially reported on Monday, Sept. 5,…

Commentary The County of Orange considered withdrawing from Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) this morning, then voted 5-0 for its own audit before exiting. The session revealed that county supervisors are not telling the public what is what. OCPA competes with Southern California Edison (Edison) in the purchase of energy. That power continues to be delivered…

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif.—Power line sparks have been identified this week as the cause of the Emerald fire that scorched over 150 acres and forced thousands to evacuate in February, city officials said recently. An investigation by the Orange County Fire Authority found the fire was caused by high winds blowing sparks from three exposed high…

Schools are in full swing celebrating the graduation season, but Southern California Edison (SCE) is telling people to not turn the celebration into a blast—with metallic balloon-caused power outages. Over the last five years, May and June—the graduation months—have statistically made up almost a third of foil balloon outages each year, according to the utility…