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Edison International CEO Pedro Pizzaro said that the possibility that Edison’s power lines in Southern California, which were somehow re-registered on January 7, had somehow been reproduced, is a “major hypothesis” for those who caused the destructive Eaton fire.
In response, Edison will take steps to strengthen other idle towers and lines on the network to prevent regenerating incidents. These measures include conducting additional field inspections, reviewing previous inspections, and modifying the internal maintenance manual that instructs crews how to properly ground idle equipment.
In an interview with the Times on Friday, Pizzaro said the action was taken from “a wealth of attention.” He also emphasized that the company is still exploring what caused all the possibilities to fire. However, current evidence, including video and data from the line, suggests that the idle device could have been played through a phenomenon called induction, causing the January 7th Inferno.
“The induction seems to be an important thing to watch here as the idle line was not connected to any of the devices,” Pizzaro said. “It didn’t have a direct source of power. It was like an extension cord sitting on your floor and not connected to the wall.”
Induction occurs when a magnetic field from another nearby active line induces current to an unconnected line. It is considered rare, but was raised by a lawyer who sued Edison on behalf of residents who lost their homes in the fire.
Currently, the utility explores it as a major theory and also ensures that similar idle devices are properly grounded, allowing sudden power surges to safely dissipate to the earth.
“We have to see everything,” Pizzaro said. “Given the flashing and fire video appears to have started around Idl’s transmission tower and that line is not retained, induction is a major hypothesis.”
Edison reported to the state regulatory board that four lines through Eton Canyon saw an instantaneous surge in currents around the same time that the fire ignited almost simultaneously. In its submission, authorities said the current increase “remains within the design limits” of the circuit.
“In the beginning, we had protection for all the power lines, so we didn’t think there would be a point where we could connect it here,” Pizzaro said.
However, the video showing the first flames of the fire appeared to have been fired under the Idol Tower, causing serious concern and urged the company to take additional steps.
As a precaution, Pizzaro said the giant utility company has revised its internal manual outlining how idle devices must be grounded.
The lawsuit filed at least one lawsuit against SCE included photographs of the tower containing four feet of exposed ground wire protruding from a steep hillside.
The manual’s changes were noted in a filing with state regulators on February 6th. Edison refused to provide a copy of the changes to the Times in Los Angeles or provide details for weeks. The California Public Utilities Commission also rejected a request for public records from the Times to disclose the information.
On Friday, the company shared a revised section of the manual. Officials said it provides uniformity as to how idle Edison equipment is now grounded.
Rajdeep Roy, vice president of Edison’s transmission operations and substations, told the Times that the revision was made after the January 7th fire, which was the only change at the time.
Before the revision, he said the grounding procedure was determined by the engineers when the equipment was idle. The grounding procedure was based on a case-by-case basis, due to equipment, terrain and surrounding lines.
The new policy, reviewed by the Times on Friday, will provide equipment specifications, including the type of ground wire to use and the number of bolts required depending on the type of structure. It also distinguishes between the required grounding of wood, lightweight steel poles, and lattice towers, as scrutinized in Eton Canyon.
It must also be grounded for each 2 mile idle line in sections within 600 feet of the idle 220kV or 500kV line.
“Looking at the industry as a whole, there is no very clear common standard for what to do with the idol line,” Pizzaro said.
Edison is checking whether changes to the manual will require the company to install additional grounding on the idle line or change grounding equipment, Pizzaro said.
He also said the crew is conducting field inspections of idle devices and “desktop inspections.”
“There are people who are raising all sorts of theory from outside the company, so they’re asking questions to say, ‘Let’s take a look again,'” Pizzaro said.
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