Media Contact: Media Relations, (626) 302-2255

ROSEMEAD, Calif., June 17, 2013 — As Southern Californians prepare for summer, Southern California Edison (SCE) is asking customers to be especially conservation-minded to help keep the electric grid stable and reliable during hot weather when energy use spikes, particularly without the power generated from the San Onofre nuclear plant.

Last summer, SCE customers saved 300 megawatts through conservation measures — enough to power about 200,000 homes.

“While Edison has been doing all that it can to prepare to supply power without help from the San Onofre plant, customer conservation is still a must,” said Erwin Furukawa, SCE senior vice president for customer service. “Now is the time to enroll in our conservation programs and start practicing conservation behaviors that can make a big difference for the grid.”

SCE is taking measures to make up for critical power generation resources that will not be available this year with the retirement of the San Onofre nuclear plant. SCE continues to make critical infrastructure improvements to its transmission systems and is bringing online 1,900 megawatts of generation — enough to power 1.23 million homes at a point in time — from Walnut Creek Energy Park in the City of Industry, CPV Sentinel Energy Project in the Coachella Valley and the El Segundo Generating Station.

Some ways customers can help improve grid reliability and control costs include:

  • Enrolling in programs such as the Summer Discount Plan, which offers up to $200 in bill credits for customers who allow SCE to temporarily disable their central air conditioner
  • Opting into Save Power Days, a program that provides bill credits in exchange for reducing energy usage during peak periods, from 2-6 p.m., on designated days. 
  • Keeping the thermostat set to 78 or above, using fans to make a room feel at least 5 degrees cooler, and drawing drapes during the hottest part of the day.
  • Using LED and CFL light bulbs not only keep bills lower, but they create less heat than old, inefficient incandescent bulbs in the home.

To ensure long-term grid reliability, the utility will be closely working with the California Independent System Operator, as well as the California Energy Commission, California Public Utilities Commission, local and state elected officials, and the communities served to address future energy needs for customers.

For more ways to save energy and money this summer, visit www.SCE.com/save. Customers can also get more tips via Twitter and Facebook, and watch videos on how to save energy on our YouTube channel.

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.

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Southern California Edison Partners with Customers to Conserve Energy