Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS)

Make an Appointment With Your County's 211 Care Coordinator

If you are currently experiencing a PSPS or power outage and require immediate care coordination, dial 211. If you are experiencing an emergency, dial 911. If you are still unsure if you qualify for care coordination after reading the eligibility requirements below, call 211.

Eligibility

To qualify for Care Coordination, clients must:

Live in a high fire-threat area (Orange and red areas covered by the map) and;
Have one or more listed Access or Functional Need below, including;
- Rely on power for medical needs
- Rely on power for assistive technology
- Have disabilities
- Have chronic conditions or injuries
- Have limited English proficiency
- Care for children
- Are an older adult
- Are pregnant or nursing
- Are experiencing homelessness
- Are low-income
- Do not have reliable transportation

Medical Baseline Customers

Customers and family members who depend on powered medical equipment should plan to have a backup power source, such as an uninterruptible power supply or a backup location in case of a power outage.

Identifying “electricity dependent” based on two factors:

Medical Baseline Allowance is a rate structure, and the eligibility requirements do not include all AFN electricity dependency needs.
There isn’t a consistent definition/qualifications across the organizations used to determine “electricity dependent”. (e.g., IHSS, RC, Medicare, CPUC). Note: Households may be in multiple of the customer AFN segmented identifies.

If you or someone in your household requires the regular use of electrically-powered medical equipment or other qualifying medical devices, you may be eligible for the Medical Baseline Allowance program. This program provides an additional 16.5 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per day. Provided at the lowest baseline rate, this helps offset the cost of operating the medical equipment.

Access and Functional Needs

Background: AB 2311 identifies the “access and functional needs population as consisting of individuals who have developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, chronic conditions, injuries, limited English proficiencies, who are non-English speakers, older adults, children, people living in institutional settings, or those who are low income, homeless, or transportation disadvantaged, including but not limited to, those who are dependent on public transit and those who are pregnant.”

If you're eligible using the criteria above, click below to make an appointment with your service provider and county's Care Coordinator. Care Coordination is currently unavailable in Imperial, King, Tulare, Stanislaus, Fresno, Merced, and Mariposa County at this time. Contact your local 211 or power company for more information.

SCE Care Coordination - Click Here

Ineligible? - Click here for other 211 resources

About Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS)

High winds can cause trees or debris to damage electric lines and cause wildfires. As a result, your electric utility company may need to turn off power during severe weather. This is called a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS). PSPS events are one of the ways utility companies better ensure the safety of the public.

Through a collaborative partnership of the California 211 Network and Investor-Owned Utilities, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE) seek to support customers with an Access or Functional Need (AFN) by connecting them to resources, programs, and local support systems.

About 211 PSPS Care Coordination

211 PSPS Care Coordination aims to connect with electric-dependent community members and households with access and function needs before, during, and after a PSPS in SCE and PG&E service areas across the state.

Make an appointment

Before a PSPS Event

Emergency Planning Assistance - Personal Safety Plan
Registration for alerts and notifications
Medical Baseline Program Enrollment
CARE or FERA Enrollment

During a PSPS Event

Locating a Community Resource Center
Connections to PSPS Resources, including transportation, lodging, and food resource and replacement

After a PSPS Event

Power restoration updates
Preparing for the next Public Safety Power Shutoff

Conditions to Cause a PSPS Event

Elevated weather conditions can cause vegetation or other items to be blown into power lines, possibly creating a wildfire. Under these situations, utility companies may temporarily shut off power to customers to keep you and your community safe. Utility companies consider a number of factors and conditions before declaring a PSPS. These include, but are not limited to: