A California wildfire destroyed the only transmission line serving Anza Electric Cooperative, a rural electric provider around 100 miles east of Los Angeles.

Southern California Edison, which maintains the line, reported that two to five miles of line was down in extremely rugged country, Anza Electric said, adding “we’ve suffered the complete loss of our incoming transmission feed.”

Portable generators on site. Source: Anza Electric CooperativeThe co-op is using mobile generators to maintain electric service until the line can be repaired.

Engineering360 and the IEEE Energywise blog profiled Anza Electric and its use of solar energy to help ease capacity issues as a result of its reliance on the single transmission line. (Read "As Economics Improve, Solar Shines in Rural America.")

The Cranston Fire has burned more than 13,000 acres, destroyed more than a dozen buildings, and prompted the evacuation of hundreds from the area since July 25. Authorities arrested an arson suspect in California’s Riverside County. The fire was 82 percent contained as of July 31.

The co-op initially expected to rotate power through its substations for about one hour, two or three times a day. However, four trailer-sized generators were deployed by midday July 27. Together, they provide around 12 megawatts of capacity, enough power to handle between 50 percent and 68 percent of the co-op’s demand.

The co-op is using 15,000 to 24,000 gallons of diesel per day to run the generators.

The Generation and Transmission Cooperatives of Arizona has been assisting its member distribution co-op since service disruptions began July 25. Engineering and substation specialists from Arizona helped with the interconnection, and distribution lines were re-energized July 28.

The co-op needs to rotate circuits in two areas due to limitations of generation interconnection, but power is available to customers "most of the time.”

Southern California Edison is using the co-op’s headquarters to stage repair and relief efforts, which could take two weeks.

A co-op subsidiary, Connect Anza, temporarily lost its fiber connection when its investor-owned telecommunications provider lost power to a backup generator. The co-op’s internet subscribers lost service, and telecommunications to Anza EC’s offices were disrupted until the co-op dispatched fuel to the provider to get its generator running.

Fuel assistance also has been provided to a warming/cooling center, a temporary emergency shelter and a temporary animal shelter for displaced horses and pets.