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SDG&E Wins Two Chartwell Awards for Excellence in Outage Operations and Communications

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) announced today that it has been honored with two 2025 Chartwell Best Practices Awards: the Gold Award for Excellence in Outage Operations and the Silver Award for Excellence in Outage Communications. The awards recognize SDG&E’s efforts in safeguarding communities during extreme weather events and advancing innovative technologies to help reduce wildfire risks and power outages.

“These awards reflect SDG&E’s unwavering commitment to safety, innovation, and customer-focused service,” said Kevin Geraghty, chief operating officer and chief safety officer for SDG&E. “By combining cutting-edge technology with compassionate, proactive outreach, we aim to set a national standard for protecting communities during extreme weather.”

Operational Excellence Through Innovation
The Gold Award underscores the critical role of SDG&E’s Wildfire Next Generation System (WiNGS) platform in helping to reduce wildfire risks and outage impacts. Recent upgrades to WiNGS introduced three key benefits:

  • Real-Time Risk Modeling: Integration of weather data, drone imagery, and AI-driven analytics facilitates enhanced de-energization decisions to serve customers more effectively. 
  • Temporary Construction Visibility: Automated tracking of temporary poles and infrastructure enhances risk assessments to aid in mitigating Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) impacts. 
  • Proactive Community Protection: Enhanced geospatial tools allow crews to prioritize high-risk areas in an effort to restore power faster and reduce disruptions to vulnerable communities.

Proactive Communication During Crisis
The Silver Award recognizes SDG&E’s execution of a multi-layered communication strategy during multiple Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events prompted by historic Santa Ana winds and extreme fire weather in December 2024 and January 2025. During this period, SDG&E successfully informed more than 274,000 customers through coordinated outreach efforts. Key efforts included:

  • Multi-Channel Alerts: Notifications delivered via text, email, voice messages, and the SDG&E mobile app in 22 languages, including American Sign Language. 
  • Community Relationships: Coordination with public safety agencies, tribal nations, and critical facilities to enhance real-time awareness and resource deployment. 
  • Support for Vulnerable Populations: Activating ten Community Resource Centers, personalizing outreach to medical baseline customers, and providing essentials like Wi-Fi, generators and emergency housing. 
  • Social Media Engagement: Real-time updates, multilingual content, and myth-busting posts across platforms.

SDG&E continues to build on its reputation as a national leader in utility wildfire mitigation, leveraging cutting-edge technology and innovations like the newly opened Wildfire and Climate Resilience Center (WCRC) in 2024. The WCRC enhances real-time outage coordination and emergency operations, underscoring SDG&E’s focus on resilience and safety.

To learn more about SDG&E and its initiatives, visit SDGEtoday.com.