Media Contact: David Song, (626) 302-2255
ROSEMEAD, Calif., Dec. 15, 2014 — Southern California Edison (SCE) began major infrastructure-improvement work this month in Kings County in and around Hanford to ensure continued reliable electric service for the area’s residents. SCE will invest about $3.5 million in the project, which will continue through early next year.
Much of the work will take place in west Hanford, Grangeville and Armona, and the construction projects will include the upgrade of poles and transformers, the replacement of miles of underground cable and the improvement of other key distribution equipment for better reliability. During the project, some customers may experience maintenance outages. SCE will communicate with affected customers well in advance so they can make appropriate arrangements.
Brian Thoburn, Public Affairs region manager for Kings County, including the city of Hanford, said SCE recognizes its responsibility to keep the lights on.
“Kings County and the Hanford area was one of the first places SCE provided electric service more than a hundred years ago,” said Thoburn. “The grid has served residents well for many years and upgrading the system with new equipment will not only reduce unanticipated and extended outages and improve reliability, but also help build a smarter grid that can handle the needs of Kings County residents for decades to come.”
Residents may experience other inconveniences, including lane closures. The company is working with businesses to make sure there are no major impacts during the holiday season.
In the next few years, SCE plans to invest billions of dollars to strengthen its territory-wide distribution grid, which serves nearly 14 million people. The work in Kings County is only one of many infrastructure-improvement projects that will take place.
SCE will provide the latest information about outages at its website and on Twitter.
About Southern California Edison
An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.
