Collaborating with the community during a PSPS

As part of our Wildfire Safety Strategy, we introduced the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) program to reinforce the safety of our communities during extreme weather. By temporarily shutting off power in high-risk areas, the goal is to reduce the risk of wildfires. But what happens before we decide to proactively shut off power, and how do we decide when to restore it? With the understanding that a PSPS would have impacts beyond our company, we’ve continued to collaborate with key partners in our community to ensure that a future PSPS event runs efficiently.

On May 14, 2025, our Emergency Planning and Preparedness team held a tabletop exercise to strengthen our work and communication with external stakeholders, including our partner organizations and customers. Leaders from across our company and representatives from 10 different local organizations came together to discuss our procedures and how to share reliable and actionable information during a PSPS event. I had the opportunity to observe the exercise, which gave me a better understanding of the level of coordination that a PSPS requires.

Throughout the exercise, discussions among participants remained centered around managing a PSPS event as safely, efficiently, and transparently as possible, underscoring everyone’s shared goal of ensuring no one is left in the dark. This means more than just restoring power, but also sharing timely updates to help our employees and customers make safe, informed decisions. Every department in our company, from power supply to customer service, plays a role in our response efforts. Observing the exercise deepened my appreciation for all the proactive planning that occurs behind the scenes among our community’s leaders to prepare our state for emergencies.

As the exercise wrapped up, many participants shared that they felt it produced valuable conversations and opportunities for continued improvement. Keeping our communities safe is a joint effort, and our company is fortunate to have the support and collaboration of our community partners. Heading into hurricane season, it’s reassuring to know that the organizations leading our state are ready to adapt in an emergency.

We’ll be continuing to collaborate with key stakeholders to improve our processes. In the meantime, it’s vital that customers prepare for emergencies like a PSPS event, too. To stay informed and ready, check out our webpage on how you can prepare for a PSPS.