Project Summary
California's Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) program de-energizes transmission lines during high fire-weather conditions to reduce wildfire ignition risk but imposes severe, unequal burdens on residents who depend on electricity to power life-sustaining medical and assistive equipment. Medical Baseline (MBL) and Access and Functional Needs (AFN) customers, including ventilator users, individuals requiring refrigerated medications, and those relying on powered mobility aids — face compounding vulnerabilities when outages strike: they must either evacuate or secure alternative power, yet California's evacuation planning frameworks do not systematically account for their transportation barriers, and existing utility resilience programs leave critical gaps in eligibility and equipment coverage. This project produces the first evidence base on transportation and energy access failures for medically dependent residents during PSPS events. Using a mixed-methods design, the study integrates spatial analysis of PSPS exposure, disability prevalence, and evacuation infrastructure with structured focus groups conducted in high-exposure communities across California's three major utility service territories. Findings will be translated into actionable policy recommendations for Caltrans, the California Public Utilities Commission, county offices of emergency services, and investor-owned utilities, advancing both wildfire resilience planning and transportation equity for California's most vulnerable residents.