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Southern California Edison President is So Sorry You Haven't Had Power for Almost a Week
The president of Southern California Edison just sent out a letter to let you know he is is so sorry that some of you haven't had power for the better part of the last week.
More than 430,000 customers lost power during Windpocalypse last week, but thousands were still left without power this morning. (The map above is a recent snapshot that show where outages are.)
Southern California Edison President Ron Litzinger sent out this letter to customers (which was posted in full on local Patch websites):
As a result of the unprecedented wind storm that hit portions of Southern California last Wednesday, more than 430,000 Southern California Edison customers lost their power. We set ambitious goals to return service to them; however, in some cases in the hardest hit areas, we were not able to achieve our restoration targets or provide accurate information about their service. On behalf of the entire company, I apologize.
We understand that a number of our customers are frustrated, particularly those who have been without power for more than five days, and we thank them for their patience. We are working around the clock with crews from as far away as San Diego and Bakersfield to repair the massive storm damage to our power delivery system. Access to make needed repairs has been difficult due to storm debris and the thousands upon thousands of trees and branches downed by the hurricane-strength winds. Local fire and police departments have been especially helpful, as have local public works agencies, in helping us gain access. I would like to thank them for this vital assistance.
Earlier L.A. County Supervisor Mike Antonovich complained that the company was taking too long and not doing a very good communicating with customers. Some customers have also complained that the coordination between Edison and emergency personnel wasn't great. Edison told customers to call 9-1-1 if they saw a downed line, but some customers at a meeting with an Edison rep were reporting that 9-1-1 dispatchers told them to call Edison.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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