On Thursday, December 5, 2024, Bear Valley Electric Service, Inc. (BVES), executives, elected officials, and community leaders participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the recently modified Radford Transmission Line.

BVES’s Radford Line is connected to Southern California Edison’s electrical system, a primary power source for the Bear Valley community. The above-ground sub-transmission line was designed to improve the reliability and safety of power distribution throughout the Big Bear community.

“The upgrades Bear Valley Electric Service, Inc. made to the Redford Line will vastly improve reliability and eliminate the highest wildfire ignition risk on our electrical grid. In fact, the overall wildfire risk by this single mitigation is reduced by over 30 percent according to one of our risk models,” said Paul Marconi, President, Treasurer & Secretary of BVES at Thursday’s ceremony. “The modifications include covered conductors and fire-resistant poles, which will reduce the threat of wildfires and protect the infrastructure supporting the community’s primary power source.”

Organizations involved in this project include the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Morongo Band of Mission Indians, PAR Western Line Contractors, Arcadis and WESCO International.