From Local Outage to National Awareness: How Sierra Wave Pressed for Answers

When Southern California Edison (SCE) power outages struck the Eastern Sierra on Christmas Eve, Sierra Wave News committed to doing more than just reporting the darkness—we committed to pressing for transparency, accountability, and clearer communication from SCE.  Those outages extended beyond a single night and into 4 days dlfor many and 6 days for others. It was disrupting homes, businesses, and holiday plans, and raising serious questions about the stability of the grid and how information was being shared with the public.

On December 30, 2025, Senator Alvarado-Gil jumped into action  wrote a formal request to the Governor supporting the inclusion of Mono County in the State of Emergency Proclamation related to the 2025 winter storms.

What many don’t know is what happened behind the scenes.

In the days following the outages, Sierra Wave reached out to the office of State Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil. Through that effort, we established communication with Jason Scalese, who proved to be a tremendous help. During our conversations, we were able to inform the Senator’s office of the power outage on January 4, 2026. This outage had not yet been on their radar at the time. That exchange helped broaden awareness of the scope of the problem beyond what was initially understood.

Senator Alvarado-Gil’s office also connected us with another resource, Kevin Tripp, of KFBK Sacramento. Kevin and us worked  together to take this story beyond the Eastern Sierra and onto the national stage. That collaboration resulted in Sierra Wave being heard nationwide, with a recorded soundbite aired across the country.

In that interview, we highlighted how communities stepped up when the lights went out—specifically how June Lake opened shelters for overnight stays to help residents and visitors ride out the outage safely. We also made it a point to praise the linemen and field crews who worked in brutal winter conditions, battling snow, wind, and freezing temperatures to restore power. Their efforts on the ground deserve recognition and respect.

Through continued reporting and direct confirmation from Southern California Edison, we were also able to connect the January 4, 2026, power outage back to the original failure on December 24, 2025.  SCE acknowledged that issues with their website contributed to confusion and frustration and confirmed they are working to improve communication moving forward and fix the website.

As a result of these efforts, Sierra Wave now has a direct line of communication with SCE to obtain more timely answers about outages and potential impacts to customers. That access matters—not just for us as a news outlet, but for the communities we serve.

This was a serious outage. While we all wish this experience meant the power grid is now immune to future failures, the reality is that outages do happen. What makes the difference is transparency, communication, and preparedness. Thanks to these efforts, we now have clearer answers, national awareness of the challenges rural communities face, and trusted allies in the broader news industry who are willing to help amplify local stories when it matters most.

Unfortunately, not every outreach was met with the same level of responsiveness. After one phone call and two follow-up emails, we never heard back from Representative Kevin Kiley’s office. Given the severity of the outages and their impact on his constituents, that lack of response is deeply disappointing.

Sierra Wave will continue to do what we’ve always done: ask questions, push for answers, and advocate for the people of the Eastern Sierra—whether the story stays local or reaches the nation.

Thank you, Jason Scalese and Senator Alvarado-Gil’s office. Thank you, Kevin Tripp and BFBK.  Thank you to Mono County Sheriff’s Dispatch for working with us to originally confirm the outage and severity. Thank you to SCE for reaching out to us to help form better communication. A very special thanks to all the workers who braved the elements and restored the power