San Diego Gas & Electric’s (SDG&E) year-long project to enhance wildfire and infrastructure resilience in Rancho Santa Fe is nearing a successful completion and it’s due in large part to the strong partnership between the RanchoSanta Fe community and SDG&E.
Since Oct. 2023, SDG&E’s dedicated crews have been working to fortify the community’s infrastructure, with a particular focus on replacing wood poles with fire-resistant steel poles. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
SDG&E deployed drones to inspect overhead lines and more than 1,400 power poles throughout Rancho Santa Fe. The data and imagery collected from these inspections were instrumental in guiding our improvement efforts, and in identifying the power poles that require upgrades.
So far, 95 poles have been replaced, and SDG&E aims to replace a total of 101 poles by the end of the project. Additionally, 218 poles have been upgraded by changing them out with steel poles or replacing deteriorated equipment.
This initiative is a critical component of SDG&E’s Wildfire Mitigation Plan, which outlines a comprehensive strategy to build regional resilience, reduce Public Safety Power Shutoff impacts, help prevent utility-related wildfires and prepare the public for emergencies.
Benefits of the Project
Aside from protections against wildfires, this project includes additional benefits for the community:
- Enhanced Safety and Reliability: The upgraded infrastructure will significantly improve the safety and reliability of the distribution system, reducing the risk of outages and enhancing overall service quality.
- Improved Performance During Extreme Weather: The new fire-resistant steel poles and other infrastructure improvements are designed to withstand extreme weather conditions, ensuring better performance and fewer disruptions during such events.
- Reduced Maintenance Costs and Environmental Impact: By upgrading to more durable materials and modern technologies, future maintenance activities will be less frequent and less costly, also reducing the environmental impact.
Project Overview and Progress
Our crews are working in phases to minimize disruptions to the community. This phased approach allows us to maintain a balance between progress and community convenience, ensuring that the impact on daily life is kept to a minimum.
What to Expect During the Final Phases
As we approach the final stages of this project, SDG&E and contractor crews, along with construction equipment continue to work in various parts of the community.
Here’s what you may encounter:
- Traffic Controls: Traffic controls, including lane reductions and temporary parking restrictions near work sites, will be in effect. These measures may cause some traffic delays, so we appreciate your patience and understanding.
- Construction Noise and Dust: Some level of construction noise and dust is inevitable, but we are doing our best to mitigate all disruptions.
- Temporary Service Outages: In certain instances, there may be temporary service outages. We strive to keep these to a minimum and provide advance notice whenever possible. For the latest information on planned outages, please visit sdge.com/outages.
Humberto Gurmilan serves as Communications Manager at San Diego Gas & Electric.