By Cady Price
Special to the Alpine Mountaineer
In response to an upcoming 18-hour power outage in the Running Springs area, a special Running Springs Area Chamber of Commerce board meeting was held, with attendance from Southern California Edison (SCE) personnel. The meeting was held in an effort to engage with the chamber and local business owners about their concerns.
SCE representative Shane Massoud gave a short presentation on the logistics of the power outage. The outage will last from Friday, May 31 at 5:00 p.m. until Saturday, June 1 at 11:00 a.m.
The purpose of the outage is to harden the grid and increase its reliability. This project will limit occurrences such as fires caused by power lines and other forms of outages. Massoud explained that it is best to do this work in one go to avoid having further planned outages during the year. The work should not cause any road closures.
SCE had originally estimated 5,300 people would be out of power; however, they have made arrangements to switch 2,300 residents to neighboring circuits. Around 3,000 businesses and residents will be out of power for the duration of the work.
Concerns about the effects of the power outage have been raised by business owners and residents. The main issues are food storage and possible extensions if the work is not completed in the scheduled 18 hours. In an effort to combat these concerns, Luis Lara, an SCE representative, compiled a list of useful tips and safety precautions.
It is important to keep refrigerators and freezers closed for as long as possible; opening them speeds up the increase of temperature. Check for any signs of spoilage and draw the line at 40 degrees. Residents should make sure to have the following items on hand: first aid kit, bottled water, flashlights, batteries, non-perishable foods and any medical items needed for health.
SCE assured those present that they are working ahead of time to make sure any complications that may arise are dealt with to lower the chances of extending the time period.
SCE has sent out a Dear Neighbor letter, letting residents know of the outage as well as all the information about it. They are also using social media and text or email notifications to prepare all the residents who will be affected.
Residents with questions or concerns about outages can contact SCE at sceprojects@sce.com.
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