Andddd they shut off my power

[4Waters]

Its been blowing 20 30 mph for the last couple hours, suprized they haven't shut ours off in Aguanga. Good size fire going on in De Luz.

It's been blowing pretty good here since 3 yesterday afternoon and 98% of Simi is still on including us, since we are underground we shouldn't be turned off anyways, my in-laws don't get turned off because they are "underground utilities" per Edison.

 

[WYRD]

It's been blowing pretty good here since 3 yesterday afternoon and 98% of Simi is still on including us, since we are underground we shouldn't be turned off anyways, my in-laws don't get turned off because they are "underground utilities" per Edison.

It's not the line to your house that matters. It's the high voltage lines that serve the substation that feeds the grid your house lines are connected to

 

[4Waters]

It's not the line to your house that matters. It's the high voltage lines that serve the substation that feeds the grid your house lines are connected to

Well they are on

 

[PlanB]

Its been blowing 20 30 mph for the last couple hours, suprized they haven't shut ours off in Aguanga. Good size fire going on in De Luz.

Saw the De Luz fire last night when it started out of our second story window. Got up in early this morning and the spread was pretty incredible. Went from 300 acres to 3000 acres fairly quickly.

 

[4Waters]

Well, the power has been off since just before noon so my wife hooked up the fridge and freezer to my 10000w until I got home. The other day I bought a small predator 2000w inverter generator so when I got home I hooked the stove (LCD screen) and a TV to it. I hooked up my unspecified type of cord to the 220v in the garage, shut the main, A/C and pool breakers off and unplugged all the electronics in the house and powered up the house with the 10000w. So now the fridge and freezer (old school) are plugged in and we have lights. Im planning on getting the same generator as @TPC has and a transfer switch for next year, but this works for right now while I save up for the generator.

 

[4Waters]

I also got up on the roof and I found several shingles missing , could be worse the guy 3 doors down has 1/2 his roof in the middle of the street and the front yard across the street

 

[Willie B]

...Blowing pretty good in NoHo... I doubt that we will lose power as it is the flat lands...the transformer that powers eight houses was just replaced this summer when it was 117...
... i’ve got my Onan. gasoline powered 6500 in the garage ready to go... but I do not have a transfer switch or any other Mickey Mouse set up to power most of the house...At a minimum I can plug the refrigerator in and an assortment of other things...
....I have an Onan propane 6300 in my fifth wheel trailer but for the life of me I cannot remember where I attached the ground and it’s so windy and dirty I don’t feel like crawling under the trailer and looking for it???...

 

[Taboma]

Well, the power has been off since just before noon so my wife hooked up the fridge and freezer to my 10000w until I got home. The other day I bought a small predator 2000w inverter generator so when I got home I hooked the stove (LCD screen) and a TV to it. I hooked up my suicide cord to the 220v in the garage, shut the main, A/C and pool breakers off and unplugged all the electronics in the house and powered up the house with the 10000w. So now the fridge and freezer (old school) are plugged in and we have lights. Im planning on getting the same generator as @TPC has and a transfer switch for next year, but this works for right now while I save up for the generator.

If I were you, I'd stop using the suicide cord reference on the internet --- and after 50 years in the trade, you will never, ever read of me using one or suggesting anybody else should.
Professional sparkys and linemen, don't view this as being a "Cool" hack. In the wrong hands it's deadly to others.
You can still tell your story and just leave that minor detail out of it. The fewer pulling this stunt, the better for those trying to restore our power during less than ideal conditions.

 

[4Waters]

If I were you, I'd stop using the suicide cord reference on the internet --- and after 50 years in the trade, you will never, ever read of me using one or suggesting anybody else should.
Professional sparkys and linemen, don't view this as being a "Cool" hack. In the wrong hands it's deadly to others.
You can still tell your story and just leave that minor detail out of it. The fewer pulling this stunt, the better for those trying to restore our power during less than ideal conditions.

No where did I recommend anyone do that, I won't let my wife touch it but if edison (not talking about the linemen) would do their job I wouldn't have to do this, if they didn't shut off my underground service I wouldn't have to do this and before you say its the transmission lines that have been shut off you're wrong.

This edison power yard is a stones throw away from my house and powers the entire east side of Simi.

Some power is on and some is off on the east end so if the transmission lines were off the entire east side would be off, edison is worried about overhead power lines in neighborhoods and ours is underground in the middle of the valley. The blue dot is me.

I changed it for you.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

No where did I recommend anyone do that, I won't let my wife touch it but if edison (not talking about the linemen) would do their job I wouldn't have to do this, if they didn't shut off my underground service I wouldn't have to do this and before you say its the transmission lines that have been shut off you're wrong.

This edison power yard is a stones throw away from my house and powers the entire east side of Simi.
View attachment 963806

View attachment 963807

Some power is on and some is off on the east end so if the transmission lines were off the entire east side would be off, edison is worried about overhead power lines in neighborhoods and ours is underground in the middle of the valley. The blue dot is me.
View attachment 963812

I changed it for you.

You obviously have not read this thread. There is simply no other alternative than to shut off yore power in any weather event. You should be happy you have power at all. This is the best power solution modern technology and government can provide.

 

[ChumpChange]

If I were you, I'd stop using the suicide cord reference on the internet --- and after 50 years in the trade, you will never, ever read of me using one or suggesting anybody else should.
Professional sparkys and linemen, don't view this as being a "Cool" hack. In the wrong hands it's deadly to others.
You can still tell your story and just leave that minor detail out of it. The fewer pulling this stunt, the better for those trying to restore our power during less than ideal conditions.

So what’s a suicide cord?

 

[El Rojo]

So what’s a suicide cord?

lol haha I was thinking the same thing, I was gonna Google it....if someone knows and doesn't want to post it please PM me...

 

[HTTP404]

So what’s a suicide cord?

Super secret sparky knowledge.

 

[waterboy]

So what’s a suicide cord?

A ext. cord with 2 male ends, plug one end into generator and the other to a house plug and back feed the panel

 

[shintoooo]

So what’s a suicide cord?

 

[ChumpChange]

A ext. cord with 2 male ends, plug one end into generator and the other to a house plug and back feed the panel

So a @GRADS type of party.

 

[Angler]

Works like a champ too.

Turn off your solar, turn off the pool, turn off AC, TURN OFF MAIN BREAKER (SERVICE FEED)!

Should look close to this when setup properly.

 

[4Waters]

Fawk!! This is my roof

There's more in the side yard

 

[riverroyal]

Yore grass needs water

 

[4Waters]

Yore grass needs water

Gonna rototill it in the next couple of weeks and rake all the crap out of it and re-seed

 

[4Waters]

Well with part of the roof missing now it might as well be 100% chance rain over the next hour ain't mother nature a bitch.

 

[Taboma]

No where did I recommend anyone do that, I won't let my wife touch it but if edison (not talking about the linemen) would do their job I wouldn't have to do this, if they didn't shut off my underground service I wouldn't have to do this and before you say its the transmission lines that have been shut off you're wrong.

This edison power yard is a stones throw away from my house and powers the entire east side of Simi.




Some power is on and some is off on the east end so if the transmission lines were off the entire east side would be off, edison is worried about overhead power lines in neighborhoods and ours is underground in the middle of the valley. The blue dot is me.


I changed it for you.

I'm certainly no fan of how electrical utilities are managed. I understand this damned PSPS BS is causing extremely undesirable customer consequences with every offshore wind event.
We know these events are part our weather cycle and have always been and always will be. We've discussed here on RDP, the why's, the knee jerk reaction the utilities have implemented due to the extreme litigation that far surpassed their insurance.
We also know this has been a huge $$$$ maker for generator & backup battery manufacturers and contractors installing them.

But none of that was mentioned or part of my simple request and suggestion that perhaps proclaiming on a public forum that you're performing an illegal and extremely dangerous act that could result in death, is wise.
I wasn't admonishing you, I simply suggested you stop writing about it and suggested you could still convey your story with that fact being omitted.
I also personally don't feel advocating or promoting this dangerous practice is a good idea either.

I realize you feel so long as you open the main breaker, that back feeding the panel is safe. But that safety depends on not one but TWO actions. The first is you remembering to disconnect from the grid and the 2nd being the breaker actually opens when you throw the handle.
How do you know for example that both poles of the main breaker actually opened ? You ever had a breaker not operate properly ? I have, I've replaced a lot of them.
Although usually the failure works the other way and the breaker won't close, I have had one or both poles fail to open, due to a mechanical failure or welded contacts.
The truth is, this method is NOT fail safe.

A transfer switch, which it's obvious you're aware of and simply haven't taken the time or wanted to spend the money on, is essentially fail safe. The switch can not be in two positions and if it doesn't mechanically transfer it won't be energized.

Here's the problem, we've got a huge number of essentially incapable homeowners, hell, even apartment duelers, purchasing and hooking up generators as a result of these bullshit public safety power shutdowns. We've got people doing really stupid things with these generators, people dying as they actually run them in their homes and closed garages.

Just a week ago while visiting my lovely dental hygienist she told me how they'd purchased a generator and hired an electrician to install a Priority Load panel with proper transfer switch. When I inquired where they were going to run the generator she stated "Oh in the garage, so somebody doesn't steal it".

Would seem that you, like my hygienist live in similar neighborhoods. They're facing public safety shutdowns despite having underground utilities or living in an urban environment that shouldn't be impacted, but are. I can only assume, that what the SCE or SDG&E planners are seeing is that some location served by that circuit has been deemed at risk during a wind event.
My recommendation to her and you is this.
Be proactive and speak up. The more voices the better, the more neighbors complaining the better, band together and complain, get the evening news involved if you have to.
I think in light of these massive shutdowns, what needs to happen and of course the utilities are reluctant to do because it costs $$$, is re-align circuit loads and possible routing in order to decrease the number of impacted customers. Circuit realignments need to be explored in order that these outage impact the least possible if these CYA outages are going to continue.
Pressure needs to be applied to the utilities to make this happen. I see a neighborhood or area, that is unjustifiably suffering power outages, banding together, filing a well written unified complaint as a way of gaining their attention.

Now with every offshore event and subsequent outages, we've got hundreds of thousands if not a million generators being fired up in various areas of California.
I don't see this as a long term solution in this "Green & Progressively " politically driven state. I think the generator shit is going to hit the Environmental FAN.

 

[Kbach]

Fawk!! This is my roof

View attachment 963843

View attachment 963844

View attachment 963845

There's more in the side yard

Mines waaaay worse
I know my roof was on it’s last leg but I still might make a call to insurance and see what they say...

 

[Sherpa]

Yore grass needs water

I wanted to post the same exact comment! lol..

--S

 

[4Waters]

Mines waaaay worse
I know my roof was on it’s last leg but I still might make a call to insurance and see what they say...

I thought it was going to be worse, I figured there was crap in my neighbors yard as well, this is it but the roof 28 years old so it just needs to make it the rest of the season.

 

[4Waters]

Patched in, 5 shingles total

I had latex gloves on and that damn Henry's still got on my hands

 

[jeteater1]

Came home to this today.

 

[4Waters]

 

[4Waters]

No PSPS outages with this wind event, blowing over 60 here in Simi. Guess the backlash was too much.

 

[Fenderbender]

Yeah I’m surprised as well


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CLdrinker]

No PSPS outages with this wind event, blowing over 60 here in Simi. Guess the backlash was too much.

CPUC was all over it.
I have 6million of work on the books already for this year to fix the issues like yours. And I’m a very small fish.

 

[4Waters]

CPUC was all over it.
I have 6million of work on the books already for this year to fix the issues like yours. And I’m a very small fish.

CPUC put a stop to it?

 

[Brobee]

No PSPS outages with this wind event, blowing over 60 here in Simi. Guess the backlash was too much.

At my utility, PSPS’s are only used during high heat, low humidity, wind events. Not all Santa Ana winds are considered red flag and not all red flag require PSPS. We were one of the first utilities to start shutting off back country circuits and we haven’t started a fire since ‘07. This isn’t going away anytime soon and I see it becoming more common.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Taboma]

At my utility, PSPS’s are only used during high heat, low humidity, wind events. Not all Santa Ana winds are considered red flag and not all red flag require PSPS. We were one of the first utilities to start shutting off back country circuits and we haven’t started a fire since ‘07. This isn’t going away anytime soon and I see it becoming more common.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

As a consequence of that 07' event, I'm not always unhappy when I check the utility's maps and see backcountry areas east of me de-energized during a hazardous offshore wind event.
On the other hand, speaking with those affected first hand and when viewing those same maps, I can see vast numbers of "Tract" customers needlessly affected, simply because a portion of their circuit serves a handful of outlying homes.
Being retired from over 50 years in the electrical industry, I do grasp load and the balancing of same. I've also worked with various utility project planning engineers and fully realize logistics and monetary constraints. I'm trying to avoid all the nit-picky details to hasten this conversation to broader generalities.

I believe if this practice is to continue, especially as it's now state wide, some serious studies will be encouraged by both the public and politicians ( Whom the public is and will continue to pressure) to perform some re-assessment of circuit assignments and or perhaps routing and disconnecting means in order to mitigate the numbers and reduce the impact overall.
Especially the thousands suffering needlessly in non-threat neighborhoods, but are included by convenient or financially motivated association, rather than "Risk" necessity.

I have personally spoken with and encouraged several friends and professional associates to crank up the heat on local politicians for this reason, not just as individuals but as entire neighborhood or area campaigns.
As this program is currently being implemented, the utilities are painting with way to wide a "CYA" or ahem, PSPS brush, with far to many customers needlessly suffering as a consequence.

Santa Ana winds are a historically seasonal event, a fact of life, as is the desert getting hot in the summer. Just like we're forced to spend vast amounts of $$ to provide structural integrity to our homes and businesses for seismic events, and other costly means for fire protection, the utilities could do a much better job both structurally and design / planning to better cope with these wind & weather events.

In a state with goals (Like it or not) to be a world wide leader in "Green" and being environmentally conscious, a million folks running portable generators for several days every fall or seasonally is NOT an acceptable long term solution.

So this extremely long winded simple point leads me to this ----- Is your utility, or others, taking a seriously hard look at this "Situation" (More like a seasonal crisis) in order to provide voluntarily derived solutions, or will this take a lynching or three on the part of the public ?

 

[Spudsbud]

Lex Luthor had it right......

 

[CLdrinker]

I suppose I could say that the utility i work for is working very hard to limit or eliminate PSPS events.
But no one will believe me because they are experts. And I’m not.
LOL

 

[4Waters]

At my utility, PSPS’s are only used during high heat, low humidity, wind events. Not all Santa Ana winds are considered red flag and not all red flag require PSPS. We were one of the first utilities to start shutting off back country circuits and we haven’t started a fire since ‘07. This isn’t going away anytime soon and I see it becoming more common.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well at my house it's been blowing over 30mph and as high as 60+ with mid to low teens for relative humidity for 10-11 days, that's red flag, so I am surprised they didn't shut it off.

 

[CLdrinker]

CPUC put a stop to it?

Sorry just saw your question.
I’m not well informed on this exactly. But I do know we got an earful from the CPUC and it is for sure being looked at.
My guess is your area lacks switching ability to a second circuit that can handle the load of your neighborhood.
Or
You neighborhood might be getting dropped for load purposes to be able to allow another critical area to be picked up in the switching procedures.

hopefully it got an engineer to create a WO to fix the issues

 

[Taboma]

I suppose I could say that the utility i work for is working very hard to limit or eliminate PSPS events.
But no one will believe me because they are experts. And I’m not.
LOL

Well no, quite the contrary. I believe many would be encouraged and appreciate learning that their power provider is investigating and legitimately striving to reduce the impact of these PSPS events. Highly preferable to the usual " We're all in this together and we're only looking out for your safety and best interests" usual fodder, so in the best interest of "Public Safety" let's all fire up our portable gennies and vast array of extension cords on the count of 3 --- ready ?

Of course there's "Things" that can be done, the problem as we the public knows is both motivational and financial.
We're also well aware of "The Big Squeeze", that's the ultimate goal is it not ? Douse the lights for safety sake, created public "We're not going to take this anymore"
outrage --- Then unveil the plans and associated costs with the customers firmly laid out over the barrel, with their fists clamped tight on the politicians throats, both sides now willing to pay whatever to make it stop.

Or maybe I'm just old and wrong, or not ??? We'll see won't we. But a reckoning is coming.

 

[Taboma]

Well at my house it's been blowing over 30mph and as high as 60+ with mid to low teens for relative humidity for 10-11 days, that's red flag, so I am surprised they didn't shut it off.

Did they declare it a "Red Flag" ? I haven't noticed any of late, only high wind warnings. In fact down here in San Diego, on SDG&E's "Weather Awareness" website, it's showing the high wind speeds in the mountains and downslope, but "Green" fire conditions despite the wind. No PSPS events noted.

 

[4Waters]

Did they declare it a "Red Flag" ? I haven't noticed any of late, only high wind warnings. In fact down here in San Diego, on SDG&E's "Weather Awareness" website, it's showing the high wind speeds in the mountains and downslope, but "Green" fire conditions despite the wind. No PSPS events noted.

No they didn't actually, that's what's weird. I've been itching bad because of how dry it's been as well.

 

[Taboma]

No they didn't actually, that's what's weird. I've been itching bad because of how dry it's been as well.

I'm not asking to many questions because I sleep better after seeing the Green versus Orange and Red.

 

[CLdrinker]

Well no, quite the contrary. I believe many would be encouraged and appreciate learning that their power provider is investigating and legitimately striving to reduce the impact of these PSPS events. Highly preferable to the usual " We're all in this together and we're only looking out for your safety and best interests" usual fodder, so in the best interest of "Public Safety" let's all fire up our portable gennies and vast array of extension cords on the count of 3 --- ready ?

Of course there's "Things" that can be done, the problem as we the public knows is both motivational and financial.
We're also well aware of "The Big Squeeze", that's the ultimate goal is it not ? Douse the lights for safety sake, created public "We're not going to take this anymore"
outrage --- Then unveil the plans and associated costs with the customers firmly laid out over the barrel, with their fists clamped tight on the politicians throats, both sides now willing to pay whatever to make it stop.

Or maybe I'm just old and wrong, or not ??? We'll see won't we. But a reckoning is coming.

well the info is out there. But if the fix don’t happen in 2 weeks everyone gets pissed off.
I have attempted to bring light to peoples questions here but I just get ridiculed or dismissed. Mostly because everyone is a know it all. I mean a big reckoning is coming right?

 

[CLdrinker]

FYI projects can take for ever to get completed.

let’s look at 4waters issue as an example.

let’s say the solution to his neighborhood being shut of during PSPS events is identified today.

Our budget for Planning is for the most part already accounted for this year.
That means the project won’t get sent out to planning until early next year.
Planning can easily take 6 months or longer.

Great planning is complete summer 2022.

Guess what? The project managers and line crews already have their plate full for 2022 with 2021 plans.
So 4waters project may not get started until
2023.

Now I’m not saying it can’t get done earlier, nothing is a sure thing.

Now that I have put that out there I’m sure someone will be along shortly to bitch that it shouldn’t take that long and how I’m full of shit.

 

[Taboma]

well the info is out there. But if the fix don’t happen in 2 weeks everyone gets pissed off.
I have attempted to bring light to peoples questions here but I just get ridiculed or dismissed. Mostly because everyone is a know it all. I mean a big reckoning is coming right?

I personally welcome your input and others from those directly involved. It's the glad handing from the utility spoke's holes that infuriates the public.
When it "appears" hands are simply being wrung and we're told "Sorry, shutting off your lights" is the only solution and you should just willfully accept this as a fact of life going forward, because after all, we're doing it for your safety, what do they expect ?? A huge vote of confidence and gratitude ?

As I stated in another post, I'm selfishly grateful, I'm living in a newer house because of a previous wind event power company "Opps" and the icing on my cake is, regardless of how hard the wind has blown, our lights have remained on. So you see, it's Win , Win for us. BUT, I know there's other mitigation solutions, it just costs $$$ ---- and that's the game currently being played out at the customer's pain and that we both know will result in additional customer expense. Oh, you want your lights on, we'll here's how much that will cost you.

So let's skip the painful fucking around games --- what are the options and what's it going to cost ??

 

[Taboma]

FYI projects can take for ever to get completed.

let’s look at 4waters issue as an example.

let’s say the solution to his neighborhood being shut of during PSPS events is identified today.

Our budget for Planning is for the most part already accounted for this year.
That means the project won’t get sent out to planning until early next year.
Planning can easily take 6 months or longer.

Great planning is complete summer 2022.

Guess what? The project managers and line crews already have their plate full for 2022 with 2021 plans.
So 4waters project may not get started until
2023.

Now I’m not saying it can’t get done earlier, nothing is a sure thing.

Now that I have put that out there I’m sure someone will be along shortly to bitch that it shouldn’t take that long and how I’m full of shit.

Are you kidding, we did prime contracting for the government for 20 years. It wasn't fun watching this gross misappropriation of funds, until we got our monthly invoice paid, and I wore a disguise depositing it in our account.

The sin was, completing a huge contract, one that had been languishing in planning and design for way to many years, then once completed, reading how the entire base was being decommissioned and the land sold.

We both know amazing things CAN be accomplished above and beyond the norm, it just costs $$$$ and requires motivation. Motivation comes from either viable competition, extreme public pressure, or lots of money.
Currently we're in the "Game" phase and the public's getting very angry getting jerked off with their lights off.

 

[CLdrinker]

I personally welcome your input and others from those directly involved. It's the glad handing from the utility spoke's holes that infuriates the public.
When it "appears" hands are simply being wrung and we're told "Sorry, shutting off your lights" is the only solution and you should just willfully accept this as a fact of life going forward, because after all, we're doing it for your safety, what do they expect ?? A huge vote of confidence and gratitude ?

As I stated in another post, I'm selfishly grateful, I'm living in a newer house because of a previous wind event power company "Opps" and the icing on my cake is, regardless of how hard the wind has blown, our lights have remained on. So you see, it's Win , Win for us. BUT, I know there's other mitigation solutions, it just costs $$$ ---- and that's the game currently being played out at the customer's pain and that we both know will result in additional customer expense. Oh, you want your lights on, we'll here's how much that will cost you.

So let's skip the painful fucking around games --- what are the options and what's it going to cost ??

Covered Conductor
Composite arms
Composite poles
Smart grid switching technology.
Quick reaction fusing
OH to UG conversions
Weather stations
Cameras

are the solutions and have been in process since 2018.

my group alone planned over 500 miles of covered conductor last year.
There are 3 groups just like mine. Plus the local planning groups.

the fix is in process these things don’t happen overnight as explained above.

I wish customers would realize we don’t want to or enjoy turning off your power. Hundreds of millions are being spent to avoid it.

 

[CLdrinker]

Are you kidding, we did prime contracting for the government for 20 years. It wasn't fun watching this gross misappropriation of funds, until we got our monthly invoice paid, and I wore a disguise depositing it in our account.

The sin was, completing a huge contract, one that had been languishing in planning and design for way to many years, then once completed, reading how the entire base was being decommissioned and the land sold.

We both know amazing things CAN be accomplished above and beyond the norm, it just costs $$$$ and requires motivation. Motivation comes from either viable competition, extreme public pressure, or lots of money.
Currently we're in the "Game" phase and the public's getting very angry getting jerked off with their lights off.

Comments like this gives me reason to not give any insight at all.

 

[Taboma]

Covered Conductor
Composite arms
Composite poles
Smart grid switching technology.
Quick reaction fusing
OH to UG conversions
Weather stations
Cameras

are the solutions and have been in process since 2018.

my group alone planned over 500 miles of covered conductor last year.
There are 3 groups just like mine. Plus the local planning groups.

the fix is in process these things don’t happen overnight as explained above.

I wish customers would realize we don’t want to or enjoy turning off your power. Hundreds of millions are being spent to avoid it.

Great to know, I appreciate you sharing it. Worked with many fine SCE engineers over many years, I certainly don't blame those in the trenches planning and constructing, but have you considered changing publicists ?

 

[Taboma]

Comments like this gives me reason to not give any insight at all.

Then you're not reading it correctly, this isn't about YOU and your feelings as an employee who feels he's doing his best in the public interest. put yourself in the public's chair, the ones suffering while those at the top play chess with our lives. You honestly believes there's no games being played with our lives ?