> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Lighting a fire under Edison - URL: https://www.smdp.com/lighting-a-fire-under-edison/ - Published: 2007-07-27T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T02:22:51.000Z - Author: Melody Hanatani - Tags: Business, Downtown, #archive-import *Left in dark, businesses voice frustrations with blackouts* DOWNTOWN For a resident, a blackout could spell hours of inconvenience, the loss of air conditioning amid the midsummer sun and fewer entertainment options. But for businesses, lengthy power outages can really pinch the wallet, especially when they occur with regularity. Business owners in Downtown Santa Monica say they’re irked by the prevalence of power outages over the past two years, claiming each descent into darkness costs them anywhere from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on the duration. The costliest outage in recent years occurred last summer, when stores and restaurants were forced to close after an underground explosion took out the power supply in much of Downtown. The owner of three motels along Ocean Avenue — Pacific Sands Motel, Best Western and Travelodge — Michael Farzam estimates he has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars from both planned and unplanned power outages over the past two years. During outages, guests are unable to check in because the credit card machine is out of commission. If the outages last more than a few hours, the majority of guests will check out early, Farzam said. The motel owner estimates approximately 10 unplanned outages — those that were not caused by scheduled maintenance — have occurred in the past two years. Not only are they costly in terms of lost guests — many of whom won’t return — the blackout becomes a liability and safety issue, Farzam added. “I think it is unacceptable,” Farzam said. A visual effects company for film and television, Lola Visual Effects relocated from Montana Avenue to Second Street more than a year ago. There’s been seven to 10 power outages since, according to producer Thomas Nittmann. The company has since brokered a deal with a generator company to receive a generator within two hours of a blackout. An outage costs the firm at least $4,000 a day — the costs to rent and fuel the generator. Still, the biggest cost may be the embarrassment of canceling appointments with clients because of an outage, Nittmann said. Many business owners pinpoint the problem to the Suntower circuit — one of 13 distribution circuits in Downtown Santa Monica, serving more than 21,000 total customers. Bola Ayorinde, the district manager for Southern California Edison, said this week that the infrastructure in Downtown Santa Monica is old and many of the circuits are aging. Outages are the result of a number of issues, including third party infractions, weather and age. Some outages occur when a car hits a pole, he added. One of the largest utility companies in the country, and the only power provider in Santa Monica, Southern California Edison is in the midst of a $9 billion system-wide infrastructure replacement project, spanning five years, from 2005-10\. It includes improvement in Santa Monica. In Downtown Santa Monica, there was an average of.21 to 1 power outages per customer in 2006, averaging a duration of about 13 to 342 minutes per client, according to statistics compiled by Edison. But business owners, particularly the unfortunate ones serviced by the infamous Suntower, contend that power outages were much more frequent. Jeff King, the chair of the King Seafood Company, which owns iCugini and Ocean Avenue Seafood restaurants in Santa Monica, estimates an average of four blackouts each year. For the King Seafood Company, that means eight blackouts in Santa Monica — one for each restaurant. DARK DAYS AHEAD? Downtown business owners vented their anger to local Edison representatives during a community outreach meeting on Tuesday at iCugini, the restaurant filled with tension as the agitated owners — some with their arms crossed and brows lowered — demanded answers. The meeting was hosted by the Bayside District Corporation, a private/public management company that oversees Downtown Santa Monica, the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce and iCugini. The business owners in attendance complained of a blackout just two weeks ago. “My goal in following this meeting is to never have another blackout again,”King said. The blackouts have cost the King Seafood Company about $80,000 in losses of revenue every year, King said. But the “tip of the iceberg,” in King’s opinion, is having to explain to a party of 35 customers why it can’t be served because there’s no electricity. Ayorinde and Mark Olson, the local representative for Edison, spoke about the different types of outages — such as scheduled maintenance blackouts and circuit breaches — as well as the recent upgrades since July 2006 and future improvements. “We’re here to restore confidence in the system,” Olson said. The company has replaced more than 3,000 feet of underground cable near the Ocean Avenue, Main Street and Santa Monica Pier area, as well as eight underground transformers and 31 underground switches. In store for the future is the replacement of 13 poles and 25,000 feet of cable by 2010. But that wasn’t enough for the business owners who appeared frustrated and claimed that the Edison representatives were skirting questions about whether they’ve identified the problem and found a solution. That is why the business owners came to the meeting, one person commented. The Edison representatives were asked to come talk about the power outages in the Bayside District, not just one specific circuit, Olson said, referring to questions about replacing the Suntower circuit. The problem in Downtown is not just caused by one circuit and focusing efforts on just fixing the Suntower circuit would not be the best response to the problem, Ayorinde said after the meeting. Rather, Edison officials have to focus on Downtown in general, adding that the Suntower is not the worst performing circuit in the city. If Edison were to work straight through the problem, it could take months, Ayorinde estimated. “We have to space out the work,” he said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/072707-01_01.jpg) (Photo: Photo courtesy) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/072707-01_02.jpg) (Photo: Photo courtesy) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/072707-01_04.jpg) URBAN OUTSIDERS: An Urban Outfitter employee explains to would-be shoppers that they must stand in line before entering the Third Street store during a power outage last summer. (Photo: Alejandro Cesar Cantarero II/Daily Press) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 27, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/072707.pdf?ref=smdp.com)