A bipartisan proposal from U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla of California and John Cornyn of Texas would reauthorize the federal Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program, according to East County Magazine. The program was created to help strengthen electric infrastructure against extreme weather, including wildfire conditions that can trigger outages and public safety shutoffs.\n\nEast County Magazine reported that the original POWER ON Act was signed into law in 2021 as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, with $5 billion authorized over five years for grid weatherization, blackout prevention and wildfire-risk reduction. The new legislation would continue that program at the Department of Energy.\n\nThe issue matters locally because Santee sits close to East County’s wildland-urban interface, where wind, heat, dry brush and utility infrastructure can combine into a public-safety concern. Even when a fire starts outside city limits, outages or shutoffs can affect commuters, seniors, families with medical equipment and businesses that depend on reliable power.\n\nPadilla said the program is intended to make the grid more secure and efficient, while Cornyn pointed to extreme weather in Texas as another reason for stronger infrastructure. The bill’s next steps will depend on action in Congress, but Santee residents should watch whether any future funding reaches San Diego County projects tied to fire hardening, transmission upgrades or outage prevention.\n\nSource: East County Magazine — https://eastcountymagazine.org/padilla-bill-would-strengthen-grid-stability-and-prevent-outages-from-california-wildfires/