Why Big Bear loses power when skies are clear: the SCE connection explained

When the sun is shining over Big Bear Lake and the air is calm, it can feel maddening to lose power for hours — or days. Bear Valley Electric Service (BVES) says the answer lies far outside the valley: most of the time, the decision to cut power isn't made here at all.

In a statement published after prolonged outages struck Big Bear Valley, BVES explained that it relies on high-voltage sub-transmission lines owned and operated by Southern California Edison to deliver electricity to the mountain community^[1]. When wildfire conditions threaten those SCE lines — which are often located many miles away from Big Bear — SCE shuts them down. Once that happens, BVES loses access to the electricity that runs its own local distribution system, leaving customers in the dark regardless of local conditions^[1].

The numbers behind the frustration

The scale of that dependence is stark. Approximately 90% of BVES's major outages are linked to interruptions on SCE's transmission system, not to any failure on the local grid^[1]. In 2025 alone, Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events on SCE's lines left Bear Valley customers without electricity for an average of 2,754 minutes — nearly two full days — over the course of the year^[1].

PSPS events are a statewide practice: during periods of extreme wildfire risk, utilities can temporarily de-energize power lines to prevent them from sparking a fire. The logic is sound — but for a community at the end of a long transmission chain that belongs to a different utility, the consequences are especially acute.

BVES acknowledged in its statement what residents already know firsthand: outages mean businesses losing customers, families upending plans, visitors cutting vacations short, and residents worrying about refrigerated medications, medical devices, and staying connected during emergencies^[1].

Why a solar farm isn't a quick fix

The most straightforward long-term fix — building local solar generation so Big Bear isn't entirely dependent on SCE's lines — has proven harder than it sounds. BVES says it has worked with state and county agencies for more than two years to find practical solutions, including solar farms that could reduce that dependence^[1].

The obstacle isn't will — it's land. Big Bear Valley is ringed by national forests, environmentally sensitive areas, rugged terrain, and established neighborhoods, leaving very few large parcels suitable for a solar installation^[1]. Every candidate site must clear environmental review, engineering requirements, community compatibility review, and multiple layers of regulatory approval — a process that is considerably more difficult in a mountain community than in the open desert corridors where most California solar projects are built^[1].

BVES did not announce a specific site, timeline, or cost estimate in its statement. The utility said it remains committed to pursuing solutions while preserving Big Bear's natural character.

What's missing from this picture

It's worth noting that the BVES statement represents the utility's own perspective. SCE — which makes the actual PSPS decisions and operates the transmission lines at the center of the problem — did not respond publicly to BVES's characterization. Residents, business owners, the U.S. Forest Service (whose land constraints shape solar siting options), and San Bernardino County officials (who have been part of the two-plus years of solution talks) were not quoted in the statement.

Those voices matter: SCE sets the criteria that trigger shutoffs, and any solar or storage project large enough to meaningfully reduce Big Bear's grid dependence would almost certainly require federal land approvals and county permitting.

For now, BVES says its crews are maintaining local infrastructure, managing vegetation for wildfire safety, and coordinating with emergency responders to help residents prepare for future PSPS events. Residents looking for preparedness guidance or outage updates can contact BVES directly at its customer service line or monitor its official communications channels for announcements on the solar siting process as it develops.