In 2001, California state regulators proposed a safety rule to remove abandoned power lines, which could potentially ignite wildfires. However, under pressure from utilities like Southern California Edison, the rule was revised in 2005 to allow these lines to remain until deemed “permanently abandoned” by executives. One such line, the Mesa-Sylmar line, out of service since 1971, is suspected of sparking the Eaton fire on January 7, which killed 19 people and destroyed 9,400 homes in Altadena.
The original proposal required utilities to remove unused lines unless they could prove future use. But fierce lobbying led to a diluted regulation, allowing utilities to keep lines if they believed there was a reasonable chance of future use. Edison stated that they maintained the Mesa-Sylmar line for potential future needs, despite it being inactive for decades. Shinjini Menon, Edison’s senior vice president, said the company inspects and maintains these lines for safety.
Former Public Utilities Commission (PUC) president Loretta Lynch recalled attempts to strengthen safety rules but faced resistance from utility executives. The weakened proposal was approved shortly after Lynch’s term ended, with Michael Peevey, a former Edison executive, leading the commission. Peevey acknowledged that, in hindsight, the commission might have acted differently, given the recent wildfires linked to utility lines.
The lack of a comprehensive registry for inactive lines and the absence of a timeline for their removal have raised concerns. PUC executive director Rachel Peterson admitted that there is no current registry for inactive lines, which complicates monitoring efforts. Terrie Prosper, a PUC spokeswoman, stated that requiring premature removal of lines could significantly raise utility bills.
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