Edison neglected maintenance of its aging transmission lines before the Jan. 7 fires. Now it's trying to catch up

"Southern California Edison did not spend hundreds of millions of dollars on maintenance of its aging transmission lines that it told regulators was necessary and began billing to customers in the four years before the Jan. 7 wildfires, according to a Times review of regulatory filings. Edison told state regulators in its 2023 wildfire prevention plan that it believed its giant, high-voltage transmission lines, which carry bulk power across its territory, "generally have a lower risk of ignition" than its smaller distribution wires, which deliver power to neighborhoods."

"While it spent heavily in recent years to reduce the risk that its smaller lines would ignite fires, Edison fell behind on work and inspections it told regulators it planned on its transmission system, where some structures were a century old, according to documents. Edison's transmission lines are now suspected of igniting two wildfires in Los Angeles County on the night of Jan. 7, including the devastating Eaton fire, which killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,000 homes and other structures in Altadena."

"After the fires, Edison changed course, and began spending more on its transmission lines, according to executives' recent comments and state regulatory documents. The utility began installing more grounding devices on its old transmission lines no longer in service, like the one suspected of igniting the Eaton fire. The company says it believes the idle line, last used 50 years ago, may have momentarily reenergized from a surge in electricity on the live lines running parallel to it, sparking the blaze. The official investigation hasn't been released."

Southern California Edison did not complete hundreds of millions of dollars in maintenance on aging high-voltage transmission lines that it had told regulators were necessary and billed to customers. The company considered transmission lines lower ignition risks than distribution wires but allowed inspections and planned work to lag, with some structures about a century old. Two Jan. 7 Los Angeles County fires, including the Eaton fire that killed 19 and destroyed over 9,000 structures, are suspected to have been ignited by Edison transmission lines. After the fires, Edison increased spending and began installing grounding devices on idle lines while an investigation remains pending.

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