Altadena leaders are asking Los Angeles County leaders to pause a Southern California Edison undergrounding project, citing unaddressed questions about the utility’s post-Eaton fire project.
The Altadena Town Council on Tuesday, April 21 unanimously approved a letter that requested county intervention in the ongoing undergrounding project.
The letter, drafted by Councilmember Morgan Whirledge and addressed to L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, highlighted unaddressed concerns with the utility’s undergrounding plan.
Barger did not respond with comment by late afternoon Wednesday.
Last year, SCE announced its plan to rebuild fire-impacted infrastructure in Altadena and Malibu that including undergrounding 153 circuit miles. Of that total, 40 circuit miles of distribution lines in Altadena and surrounding neighborhoods would be within high-fire-risk areas and 23 miles would be in non-risk areas.
According to SCE’s website, undergrounding work is ongoing on seven Altadena circuits with estimated completion target dates in 2025 and 2026.
As of last week, SCE has energized 4.5 miles of new underground distribution lines. About another 5.3 miles are in execution for underground civil construction and another half-mile is in execution for electrical construction.
An additional 12.5 miles is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.
The Altadena Town Council is an advisory board to Barger made up of 16 volunteers representing eight different segments of the town, much of which the Eaton fire consumed on Jan. 7, 2025, leading to the deaths of 19 people and thousands of destroyed structures.
“While our community supports the long-term benefits of moving utilities underground, the current execution by SCE is placing undue financial and planning burdens on homeowners, causing irreparable harm to our heritage tree canopy and proceeding without adequate local oversight,” Whirledge read from the letter.
These concerns, according to the letter, have been repeatedly raised by Altadenans in numerous public forums for several months. As of late last month, more than 100 residents have signed on in support of the actions laid out in the letter.
Southern California Edison spokesperson Scott Johnson said the company appreciates the community’s concerns and has continued to communicate with residents about the project through multiple channels.
One change SCE has made in response to public feedback, Johnson said, is that standing homes with existing power from overhead wires can continue to receive electricity through overhead power and undergrounding will not be necessary.
Edison has conferred with its own arborists as well as technology to make sure underground wires do not impact the root system of foliage.
“We have gone to great lengths to make certain that our project does not affect the long-term viability of the trees,” Johnson said. “We recognize that the trees of Altadena are precious, to not only the community but also us.”
Johnson said residents with concerns or question can call SCE at 800-250-7339, which is staffed Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition, Edison has representatives at the Altadena Rebuild & Community Hub, located at 2680 Fair Oaks Ave., Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
“We are working with the customers and the property owners to make certain that when we are done that that property looks the exact same, if not better,” Johnson said.
The Altadena letter requested that the Board of Supervisors implement a temporary pause on all work being done by SCE in Altadena’s public right of way related to undergrounding until the oversight, coordination and funding measures requested are established.
“Proceeding without the specific protocols risks irreversible environmental loss and subjects our constituents to unnecessary hardship that a well-planned project should avoid,” Whirledge read. “Altadena deserves better.”
Town Councilmember Connor Cipolla said that sending this letter was absolutely necessary to address the ongoing issues.
“This will go a long way to solving an issue in 4601, but an issue that is coming to a census tract near you in the near future,” Cipolla said.
Town Councilmember Reginald Wilkins said stub poles and “willy nilly wires” will never be acceptable in Altadena. After the vote to approve, Whirledge said plans are underway to schedule a meeting between SCE, the county and the Town Council’s Rebuilding and Infrastructure Committee.