Rebuild Safely. Follow the Rules.

A Pole-Top Distribution Station, or PTDS, is a group of electrical transformers, switches, circuit breakers and related equipment mounted on tall utility poles. The PTDS that DWP installed at this same intersection in 2016 included two 61-foot poles, a 25 foot platform and three 833-kVA transformers, along with underground vaults, conduits and cables. A PTDS is larger and more concentrated than an ordinary neighborhood utility pole.

The proposed PTDS would be built in the public right-of-way on the southwestern side of 16948-16980 West Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades. It would be approximately 50 feet from a "temporary" PTDS installed in 2016, next to a planned residential development, two blocks from Marquez Elementary School, and on the LA City designated Scenic Highway of Sunset Blvd.

Electrical transformers carry a recognized risk of fire or explosion if they fail, particularly when they contain combustible insulating oil. Beyond the risks of ignition and added fuel, downed electrical wires are a risk to firefighters and can slow down firefighting efforts. They block firefighters from moving safely through an active fire zone, restricting access when every minute matters.

No. This proposed PTDS is part of DWP's effort to build more electrical capacity in the Palisades, an effort that predates the 2025 fire. It is not replacing any equipment that was destroyed in the fire. LADWP is now invoking an emergency order to bypass normal public information and permitting for this PTDS. The DWP Interim General Manager said in March 2026 that the current electrical capacity is adequate for the rebuilding needs.

DWP has a long history of paying lip service to a commitment to underground electrical infrastructure in the Palisades, and then claiming some urgent need for building above ground. They made many of these same claims when they put up the last PTDS in 2016, which they claimed was a temporary necessity, yet still stands a decade later with no indication of when it will come down.

We support restoring power and rebuilding quickly. But LADWP should not use the fire to bypass the permits, public notice and community review that would ordinarily apply to a new project in the Coastal Zone. LADWP has not released any evidence showing why this is necessary. LADWP reports that its temporary rebuild of pre-fire poles and conductors was completed in July 2025, so this PTDS is not to replace any electrical capacity that was lost in the fire.

LADWP is citing the 2025 fire Emergency Order to fast-track the project. Because the proposed PTDS is a new distribution station and not a replacement of any pre-existing electrical equipment that was damaged in the fires, it should go through the normal Coastal Zone permit, notice and review process.

DWP has not illustrated why this PTDS is necessary at all and why less dangerous alternatives are not feasible. For the proposed PTDS site, LADWP should publicly evaluate whether capacity can instead be provided through the permanent system, underground or pad-mounted equipment, a different location, upgraded circuits, or a smaller above-ground configuration. Some alternatives may prove technically or financially impractical, but the analysis should be disclosed.

We do not pretend that hardening electrical infrastructure against fire risk is easy. We recognize that the path forward for our community will require a combination of permanent infrastructure, interim equipment and location choices to provide reliable electricity, we just ask that DWP explores these options thoughtfully and transparently.

Temporary infrastructure can be reasonable when there is a documented near-term need, no safer feasible alternative and a credible removal plan. The concern is that LADWP made essentially the same promise before.

In February 2016, LADWP stated that two Palisades PTDS facilities were temporary and "will be removed once a new permanent distributing station is operational." Ten years later, the permanent solution still is not operational and that PTDS remains, right across the street from where they plan to build another.

"Temporary" should describe a defined period, not an open-ended promise.

DWP was preparing to erect a PTDS in a Coastal Zone without the proper permits. On July 17, 2026, the Los Angeles Superior Court temporarily barred the City and LADWP from installing, constructing, erecting or energizing any part of the proposed facility unless the legally required Coastal Development Permits are obtained or the court issues a further order.

Residents are asking LADWP to:

• Comply with the court order and all applicable permitting requirements.
• Release the engineering need, load forecast and site-specific safety analysis.
• Disclose the underground, pad-mounted, alternative-site and permanent-system options it evaluated, and why those options were deemed not feasible.
• Explain LADWP's contention that the PTDS relates to the Sunset backbone and DS-29 expansion and how.
• Conduct meaningful public engagement before construction resumes.
• Set an enforceable removal date if any temporary facility is approved.