Southern California Edison pushed back the start time for planned overnight power outages in the Greater Mulwood area of Calabasas to 9 p.m. after receiving pushback from residents during a scorching heat wave.
More than 500 Southern California Edison customers in Greater Mulwood are due for overnight outages over the weekend, on Friday and Saturday.
“Our house gets so hot. It’s harder to sleep when… it’s 80, 90 degrees in your house,” said Jonathan Bobbitt.
A spokesperson for SCE said that they notified all customers two weeks in advance, and that the outage can’t be postponed as crews are slated to upgrade equipment in the area that will help reduce wildlife risks and prevent future outages.
The timing is brutal during heat.
“I haven’t really seen that before, where they change hours,” said Calabasas Mayor James Bozajian. “They must have gotten quite a bit of pushback.”
Bozajian says that the city also received numerous complaints from residents, many of whom said they were concerned about safety during the high heat.
“Elderly and some people, maybe with disabilities, they have limited ability to get out of the house or to go somewhere else, or to take alternatives,” Bozajian said. Bozajian said that the city is working on plans to help vulnerable residents who may need somewhere to cool off during the outages.
Residents acknowledge the need for improvements.
“Residents say that they support the upgrades, since they’re for safety’s sake, but not at the cost of their health and peace of mind during the heat wave.”
“I just think that there could be better planning for this,” said one resident. “It’s called reschedule the entire thing, not just reschedule the hours.”
The complaint echoes frustration elsewhere in the state.
“Maintaining the electric system is a year-long process, and we need to stay on top of this work even during the summer,” said Edison spokesperson Diane Castro.
“It’s just crucial to keeping the power flowing reliably, and we don’t want to delay the outages, which could cause equipment to fail, especially during long periods of heat.”
Similar outrage erupted in nearby Palm Desert over a planned overnight outage.
“There are elderly people out here too who are on health machines that require electricity,” said one resident. “They say after four hours you need to get rid of anything that has eggs, cream, dairy, milk, condiments, salad dressing.”
SCE defends the maintenance schedule.
“The crews know exactly what needs to be updated,” Castro said. “They are prepped and ready to go, and the outage is typically much shorter…”
The outages are for necessary repairs and safety work.
In the viral moment gripping wealthy Calabasas and surrounding communities, residents have watched Southern California Edison schedule equipment upgrades during what is expected to bring triple-digit temperatures across parts of the region. The utility said two weeks’ notice was given, and the work cannot be delayed without risking equipment failure and increased wildfire risk. Yet residents argue the timing shows a lack of coordination with extreme weather forecasts, and the delayed start time—while acknowledging the complaints—does not address the core safety concern of having no air conditioning available during dangerous heat levels.
The city has opened a resource center at the Calabasas Community Center where residents can charge devices and access generators.
The planned outages in Greater Mulwood are scheduled for Friday and Saturday.