Move FM Global News

ROSEMEAD, California: Southern California Edison (SCE) has outlined a US$6.2 billion wildfire mitigation plan aimed at reducing fire risks and enhancing grid resilience over the next three years.

The plan, submitted to California’s Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety, proposes extensive upgrades, including the installation of 440 circuit miles of covered conductor and nearly 260 circuit miles of underground distribution lines between 2026 and 2028.

The initiative builds on previous efforts to mitigate wildfire risks as the state faces ongoing drought conditions and extreme weather, said Brian Fennessy, fire chief of the Orange County Fire Authority.

“With drought conditions across the state, we are preparing for another busy year,” Fennessy said.

The utility has faced mounting scrutiny over its role in several catastrophic fires, including the Eaton fire in Los Angeles, which began in January and became one of the deadliest and most costly natural disasters in U.S. history. Multiple lawsuits allege that SCE’s electrical equipment was responsible for sparking the blaze.

In April, SCE submitted a separate plan to rebuild areas within its service territory devastated by the Los Angeles wildfires, estimating the cost of recovery to be between $860 million and $925 million.

“While wildfire risk can never be fully eliminated, we continue to harden the grid and invest in innovative approaches to bring us as close to zero as possible,” said SCE CEO Steven Powell.

The proposed mitigation strategy includes advanced safety tools such as AI and machine learning for early fault detection, as well as new undergrounding approaches to protect key infrastructure.

Despite the ambitious scope of the plan, shares of Edison International fell 1.6 percent in extended trading following the announcement.