SCE officials detail Laguna Beach undergrounding projects, wildfire mitigation
By SARA HALL
The Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee held their monthly meeting via Zoom last Thursday (Sept. 3) with Southern California Edison’s Senior Advisor in Local Public Affairs Ray Pok and Targeted Underground Project Manager Jeana Hurst as the featured speakers. More than 20 people attended online.
SCE is working to reduce wildfire risk by burying power lines in high-fire-risk areas. The targeted undergrounding (TUG) effort aims to make the electrical system more reliable during extreme weather conditions.
“We know wildfire mitigation is top of mind for a lot of our customers,” Pok said.
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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
Southern California Edison is working on several targeted undergrounding projects
Hurst explained that SCE has five circuits in Laguna Beach targeted for undergrounding. Each project is either in the design or permitting phase, with construction anticipated to be completed in 2027 or 2028.
The Kewamee circuit extends 1.64 miles along North Coast Highway, from Emerald Bay to El Morro Elementary School and then follows the road up to a water district facility.
“This could get pushed out because the Kewamee and the Artist circuits are most constrained,” Hurst explained. “It has the most things we have to clear before we execute the project.”
Caltrans and coastal permits, for example, can be challenging to navigate, she commented.
The Acres circuit project covers 2.85 miles at Top of the World, Bluebird Canyon Drive, Alta Laguna Boulevard, Sommet De Monde and Canyon Acres Drive. Some rights of entry or easements in the customer area are still pending, Hurst noted.
The larger Rubin circuit project area includes 4.03 miles along El Toro Road and extends into Aliso Viejo.
The Artist circuit covers 1.27 miles total, including portions of North Coast Highway, from Emerald Bay to approximately Smithcliffs Road, as well as other segments near Emerald Bay Canyon Road and between the wilderness park and the communities at Emerald Terrace and Windsor Place.
The Agate circuit project is 1.44 miles mostly on The Ranch property along Country Club Drive and a portion of Coast Highway, with another smaller segment along Wesley Drive.
Communication and outreach for TUG projects include a “dear neighbor” letter mailed to customers and an SCE undergrounding website with fact sheets and a map.
Pok noted that in 2018, Senate Bill 901 required California’s investor-owned utilities to develop and submit wildfire mitigation plans.
“We’ve learned a lot over the years,” Pok said.
Since 2019, SCE has filed plans outlining the various programs they have implemented to mitigate fire risk, Pok said. Those include aerial inspection programs (utilizing drones), support for a quick reaction force and vegetation management. SCE’s wildfire mitigation efforts also involve grid hardening, which includes covered conductors and TUG, as well as public safety power shutoffs, another “part of the tool bag.”
SCE files a general rate case (GRC) to request funding from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for these efforts, Pok explained. A lot of the work from these programs is in the Laguna Beach area, he added.
“We’re in your community, we know it’s an impact and we want to make sure we address all your concerns,” Pok said.
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In the company’s most recent GRC filing, SCE requested more than 600 miles of targeted undergrounding across their service area, but the CPUC reduced that to about 212 miles and directed the rest toward covered conductors.
With affordability in mind, along with technical and geographic feasibility, SCE has to prioritize the most cost-effective deployment of these programs.
“We have to be very targeted about the undergrounding because of the excessive cost and impact to our customers and to businesses,” Pok explained.
In terms of grid hardening, covered conductors are the preferred method for mitigation, he said. If animals, branches or mylar balloons come into contact with bare copper or aluminum wire, “that poses a significant ignition risk.”
Covered conductors cost about $900,000 per mile versus an estimated $4 million for TUG, Pok noted. They can also be deployed more rapidly than a TUG project.
There are also fire-resistant and fire-wrapped poles to help in the event of a fire, he added. Projects also include more robust equipment.
“You don’t only get wildfire protection when we do a grid hardening project but you also get a reliability improvement with the upgraded infrastructure,” Pok said.
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Sara Hall covers City Hall and is a regular contributor to Stu News Laguna.
