California rule change allowed dormant power lines to remain before Eaton fire

California regulators revised safety rule after utility pressure

A proposed rule to require utilities to remove abandoned transmission lines was weakened after lobbying by electric companies, according to The LA Times.

The abandoned Mesa-Sylmar line, which Southern California Edison said last transmitted power in 1971, is suspected of causing the Eaton fire in January 2025.

The fire killed 19 people and destroyed over 9,000 structures in Altadena, California.

The original 2001 proposal from Public Utilities Commission (PUC) staff would have mandated the removal of out-of-use lines unless their future use could be proven.

By 2005, the rule was altered to allow utilities to retain dormant lines indefinitely, unless internally designated as “permanently abandoned.”

Pressure from utilities shaped the final version

Raffy Stepanian, a retired electrical engineer who helped draft the 2001 proposal, told The LA Times that the changes resulted from lobbying by utilities.

“There was a lot of pressure on us to agree with utilities on everything,” Stepanian said: “The utilities pretty much wrote those rules.”

Loretta Lynch, then PUC president, recalled: “The folks who were trying to improve safety got pulled into a back room with a bunch of industry participants and what happened was a final decision that rolled back safety regulations.”

Michael Peevey, who chaired the PUC when the rule was finalised and previously led Edison’s parent company, said: “If we knew then what we know now, perhaps we would have come to a different conclusion.”

The 2005 vote occurred after Lynch’s departure, leaving only three commissioners.

Disagreement over definition of ‘abandoned’

The definition of abandonment was central to the debate, according to commission records.

In early drafts, lines were considered abandoned if owners could not prove future use with documentation.

Edison challenged the proposal, including in a 2001 case involving a fatality in Lancaster. The commission found Edison’s claims about future use to be unsubstantiated.

In the final version, “permanently abandoned” was redefined as a determination made solely by the utility, with no documentation requirement.

Lynch said the revised rule “perverted the entire intent” of the original proposal.

Workshop process criticised for lack of independence

The PUC allowed utilities to pay $180,000 to select a facilitator for workshops on the rule.

Documents reviewed by The LA Times show utilities proposed 50 changes, many weakening safety provisions.

Lynch said the process was “the worst way to go about fact-finding on what is needed to ensure safety.”

She criticised the facilitator’s influence on workshop notes, which informed the final decision.

Connor Flanigan, Edison’s managing director of state regulatory operations, said the process was transparent and that staff could block proposals.

The final decision document includes statements from Edison executives supporting the outcome.

Ongoing safety concerns over idle lines

Following the Eaton fire, the PUC’s executive director, Rachel Peterson, told the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee that there is no public record of where dormant lines are located.

“There’s no timeline,” she added, when asked if utilities must remove inactive lines.

Commission spokesperson Terrie Prosper wrote that removing lines prematurely could raise customer bills and declined interview requests.

Edison said the Mesa-Sylmar line may have re-energised through induction. Videos captured the fire igniting beneath a tower supporting the dormant line.

The company said it maintains 465 miles of idle lines but will not disclose locations, citing confidentiality.

PG&E, which faced scrutiny after the 2019 Kincade fire, agreed to remove 262 miles of unused lines and prioritise high-risk areas.

California rule change allowed dormant power lines to remain before Eaton fire: Summary

Southern California Edison said the Mesa-Sylmar transmission line last carried electricity in 1971.

The line is suspected of igniting the Eaton fire on 7 January 2025.

The Public Utilities Commission originally proposed a rule in 2001 requiring removal of such lines.

In 2005, that proposal was weakened following lobbying from utilities.

The revised rule allowed companies to keep lines unless they deemed them permanently abandoned.

Former PUC president Loretta Lynch said the revision reduced safety standards.

The PUC allowed 50 days of workshops led by a facilitator paid by utilities.

Utilities proposed 50 rule changes during this process, many reducing oversight.

Edison has 465 miles of dormant lines but will not disclose locations.

PUC’s executive director confirmed there is no central registry for idle lines.

There is no timeline for their removal.

PG&E agreed to remove 262 miles of dormant lines after a 2019 fire.