SCE Warns Power Shutoffs Could Be More Frequent and Longer This Fire Season Here's How to Keep Your Home Powered

SCE Warns Power Shutoffs Could Be More Frequent and Longer This Fire Season
Here's How to Keep Your Home Powered

If you live in Southern California Edison territory, "power shutoff" may be a phrase you hear more often this fall. The real question is not whether your area is on a list. It is what your household does when the lights go out.

What SCE says is changing

SCE has told customers that Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) could be more frequent, reach more customers and last longer this year because of rising fire risk, according to CBS Los Angeles. The utility says it now uses a new forecasting formula to predict when weather could raise the risk of its equipment causing a significant fire. It has also refined its wind-speed triggers and may shut off power earlier when winds are unusually strong.

This is not a someday problem

Early in October, SCE was considering preventive shutoffs for about 9,990 customers in Riverside County, according to Insurance Journal. The reason was a heat wave above 100°F, low humidity and drying winds. That is a lot of refrigerators, medical devices, garage doors and Wi-Fi routers going dark at once.

Why a generator or power station is only part of the answer

SCE's own preparation advice includes signing up for alerts, stocking supplies and considering portable power stations or generators. Those can help for a few hours. But they need to be charged, fueled and moved, and they rarely run a whole home.

What a home battery changes

A solar and battery system can keep your essential loads running automatically when the grid is shut off. The battery recharges from your solar the next day, so you are not hunting for fuel. It also helps on normal days by storing midday solar for the expensive evening hours.

How third-party ownership (TPO) works

In a TPO program, a company installs, owns and maintains the solar and battery system at your home. You pay for the power it produces without buying, leasing, or financing equipment. Many programs are designed to come in below utility rates, with savings of up to 40% depending on your home and program.

Here is what homeowners often ask us to check on a TPO solar and battery program:

-Will the battery back up my essentials, such as the fridge, lights and internet?

-Is maintenance covered for the term of the agreement?

-Does the agreement transfer if I sell my home?

-Want to see what backup could look like for your house? Check your options here.

To find out if your home qualifies for a TPO solar and battery program, visit myhomesolution.org

Additional resources
CBS Los Angeles, SCE Public Safety Power Shutoffs 2026: https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/socal-edison-public-safety-power-shutoffs-2026-more-frequent-longer-wildfire-safety/

Insurance Journal, Oct. 2, 2026: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2026/10/02/887661.htm