Southern California Edison contract crew digs a hole for a second
utility pole to support new power regulation equipment that will sit upon an elevated platform.
The new equipment will be used to convert power from the Soitec's Mountain View Road photovoltaic
facility to match power compatibility with that of Edison's distribution lines.
The site is located on Fairview Road between Newberry Road
and Mountain View. When the solar project was being proposed, it was stated that the
new power would be tied into the existing distribution lines. The new and taller poles
are not what was presented to the community.
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Equipment will be suspended in the air upon an elevated platform.
In an urban area, SCE wouldn't dare create such an eyesore.
Rather, if not placed in an underground vault, the equipment would be placed at ground level with
a block concealing wall. This extended high-rise monument of cheap and dirty blight upon the
community of Newberry Springs by the Soitec facility and Edison further sets the tone for Newberry
Springs' future.
Good response time.
At approximately 2:57 P.M. on Thursday, August 29, 2013,
much of Newberry Springs lost electrical power. This was caused
by weather. A microburst along National Trails, 3 miles west of Pioneer Road (Spirit gas
station) toppled 15 electrical utility poles, according to Southern California Edison.
An initial report that power lines may have fallen upon the
BNSF tracks stopped two trains in Newberry that blocked both the Newberry Road and Mountain View
Road crossings. The power outage extended out to include Ludlow, California, 32 miles east
of Newberry Springs.
Bill Little, county Public Works Operations Supervisor for
much of the High Desert, was seen himself alone diverting traffic on National Trails at Minneola
Road until lighted barricades could be erected.
Edison crews worked throughout the following night and day.
About a mile of National Trails was lighted up like daylight during the night as crews worked.
Power was first restored to a small portion of southern Newberry Springs by the following morning at
approximately 3:30 A.M.
A total of 1,810 SCE customers were affected. 1,314 had
power restored by 9:49 A.M. Friday; 469 by 3 P.M., and as of this posting, the final 27 are
expected to have power by 6 P.M.
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