September 12, 2004
ROSEMEAD, Calif., Sept. 12, 2004 - The failure of two major components of a SCE power substation in Moorpark has triggered an emergency rotating outage plan that will affect the surrounding communities for several days, the utility announced today.
The cities served by the substation include Moorpark, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village, Malibu, Calabasas, and Newbury Park. SCE urges customers in these communities to restrict their use of electricity until substation repairs are completed.
"We deeply regret the inconvenience this unusual equipment failure will cause our customers," said Larry Grant, SCE's vice president of power delivery. "Edison crews are working around the clock to resolve this problem. Meanwhile, conservation, especially between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., will help reduce the length and frequency of service interruptions while we complete repairs."
The emergency was caused by the unusual failure of two of three "A Bank" transformers - large electrical components that convert higher voltages to levels used by homes and businesses.
SCE's controlled outage plan involves de-energizing one group of circuits for approximately an hour, thereby reducing overall demand for power. When service is restored and, if the emergency continues, a different set of circuits is de-energized. This pattern continues until the emergency period ends. It should be noted that totally unrelated incidents such as a car hitting a utility pole might also interrupt power for customers within and outside the controlled-outage areas.
During a power delivery emergency, all possible steps are taken to avoid service interruptions to "essential-use" customers-hospitals, police and fire departments, and services protecting the health, safety, and security of the public.
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An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation's largest electric utilities, serving a population of more than 13 million via 4.6 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within central, coastal and Southern California.
