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Every year, we schedule thousands of system upgrades and maintenance work to ensure the continuous delivery of safe and reliable service to our customers throughout the region. These upgrades range from replacing outdated or worn-out equipment to building out our electric system to support future growth.
In order for our crews to safely complete this work, we need to temporarily shut off power in surrounding areas. These are known as planned outages and the important work they allow helps prevent sudden and prolonged outages in the future.
A planned outage will be taking place in the San Clemente area overnight later this month (Jan. 28-29) to allow crews to carry out essential repairs at a local substation. Read on below to learn more about this planned outage, what to expect and how to prepare.
What to expect:
- Outage Details: Customers near or within the San Clemente area will be without power from 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 28, until 6 a.m. the next morning (Monday Jan. 29).
- Notifications: If you live in the area and will be affected by this outage, you should have received a phone call, letter and/or email on Friday, Jan. 12. An orange banner with outage details will also be at the top of your MyAccount profile.
Why is this outage needed?
SDG&E crews will be upgrading and repairing supporting equipment at a nearby substation that provides power to approx. 18,000 customers in the area. These repairs will help prevent the chance of unplanned outages in the future.
Efforts to minimize impacts:
At SDG&E, we understand that there is no convenient time to be without power. Our team has worked hard to limit the number of customers impacted by this planned outage as much as possible.
How to Prepare
Unplug sensitive electrical equipment such as computers, TVs, cable boxes, etc. before the outage. Consider installing a surge protector on sensitive equipment to protect your appliances and equipment from surges when the power is restored.
Limit opening refrigerator and freezer doors throughout the outage and always check to ensure refrigerated foods have not spoiled and are safe to consume after. Placing frozen water bottles in the refrigerator can help keep food cold.
Electric Garage Doors and Gates: It’s recommended you remove your vehicle before the outage. Once power is back on, check to make sure your garage door and/or gate is working properly.
Generator Use: Unless installed by a licensed electrician, standby or portable generators should NOT be connected to your electric service panel or any electrical outlet. Failure to install a standby generator safely and properly could endanger you, our employees, or the public.
If you or someone in your home is on life support: Please contact your Planned Outage Coordinator (listed in your direct communication provided via letter and/or email) to confirm that you received an outage notification and have made arrangements in advance. If you have questions regarding your medical equipment, please contact your doctor or medical equipment supplier/manufacturer.
- Equipment backup: If your medical equipment is supplied by a hospital or a durable medical equipment company, work with them to develop an emergency or backup plan. Some companies may supply additional medical equipment and other services during emergency situations.
- Refrigerated medications: If you take medications that require refrigeration, take precautions and have a plan in place to continue storing at the appropriate temperature.
- Get on “disabled or other access and functional needs" lists: Contact your local fire department to learn whether they maintain a list of people with medical needs. Being on his list may help them better respond to you during emergencies.
- Emergency contacts: Keep emergency phone numbers handy.
- Backup plan: Develop plans to leave your home in the event of a lengthy power outage. Share this plan with family, friends, and others that should be aware.
- Additional resources and help: if you need additional support before or during this outage, please call us at 1-800-211-7343.
Other Tips: Make sure your cell phone has a full charge. Have a flashlight with fresh batteries handy. If your water is provided by an electric pump, have a supply of water available. Clocks, security systems, irrigation timers and similar equipment may need to be reprogrammed after the outage if they don’t have battery backup.
For more planned outage preparedness tips, visit sdge.com/plannedoutages.