California is weathering record power shutoffs as utilities juggle wildfire safety, reliability, and affordability. (LAist)
By the numbers: SCE has cut service to 526K customers in safety outages this year, compared with 137K in 2024 and 34K in 2023.
Expanded fire-risk maps and heavy vegetation growth after two wet years drove the surge, with many rural communities experiencing their first PSPSs—leading to frustration over multiday outages.
A pending general rate case and a sweeping affordability bill could reshape how wildfire mitigation costs are handled, setting precedent for balancing safety with ratepayer protection.