Building Resilience to Public Safety Power Shutoffs Through Public Education

Authors

Vikram Koundinya, University of California (UC)-Davis & UC Cooperative ExtensionFollow
Cristina Chiarella, Université Catholique de LouvainFollow
Susan Kocher, University of California Cooperative ExtensionFollow
Faith Kearns, University of California Agriculture and Natural ResourcesFollow
Sabrina Drill, University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesFollow

Volume

63

Issue

1

Abstract

Public Safety Power Shutoff events are being implemented in California to reduce wildfire impacts. We surveyed California residents to identify their information needs and understand the potential role of University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) in power shutoff management. A majority of respondents need information on alternative power sources and community power systems. Most respondents indicated family, friends, and neighbors as the important group to manage power shutoff. UCCE was least used and preferred source for power shutoff information. Our findings reveal a need for Cooperative Extension to play an important role in power shutoff management and educating the public.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Koundinya, V., Chiarella, C., Kocher, S., Kearns, F., & Drill, S. (2025). Building Resilience to Public Safety Power Shutoffs Through Public Education. The Journal of Extension, 63(1), Article 17. https://open.clemson.edu/joe/vol63/iss1/17