Southern California Edison Wildfire Risk and Cost
On behalf of The Utility Reform Network (TURN) Synapse provided testimony on Southern California Edison's proposal for grid hardening expenditures – $4.2 billion from 2025-2028, primarily for undergrounding overhead power lines. We found that the proposal prioritizes capital spending above prudent risk mitigation, affordability, and cost-effectiveness. Synapse proposed a more reasonable alternative comprised of less undergrounding and more covered conductor that would save ratepayers $2.3 billion and reduce the same amount of wildfire risk. The proposal was ultimately adopted by the California Public Utilities Commission.
Synapse also provided testimony on behalf of TURN addressing grid modernization proposals. These included distribution automation investments, a Thermo-Chemical Energy Storage (TCES) system pilot, and long-duration storage investments. Synapse recommended SCE scale back distribution automation investments, that a portion of funding for TCES be approved, and that long-duration storage funding be contingent on greater transparency and reporting. Several of these recommendations were adopted by the California Public Utilities Commission.