Fisher Electric Inc. is expanding its solar panel installation and battery storage services in Felton and Ben Lomond, California, ahead of the fall wildfire and Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) season.
The company said the move follows three PSPS events carried out by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) in 2026, including outages from May 17 to 18, June 10 to 11, and July 15 to 16. The events have highlighted continued grid reliability risks for communities in the upper San Lorenzo Valley.
According to Fisher Electric, the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) September 1 outlook identifies below-normal fuel moisture and offshore wind events as continuing wildfire risks for areas west of the Sierra Nevada crest during the fall.
The company noted that residents in Felton and Ben Lomond have experienced the impacts of both wildfire and planned power shutoffs, including the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fires and an October 2020 PSPS event affecting the upper San Lorenzo Valley.
Fisher Electric said solar-plus-battery systems can provide backup power during PSPS events by allowing homes to maintain electricity for critical loads such as refrigeration, medical equipment, lighting, and communications.
The company is currently scheduling solar installation, Powerwall 3 battery retrofit appointments, performance audits, and gateway checks across Felton and Ben Lomond.
For homeowners with existing solar systems without battery storage, Fisher Electric is offering Powerwall 3 retrofits designed to provide backup power during grid outages without requiring a complete replacement of the existing solar system.
The company is also conducting performance audits and gateway checks for existing solar and battery installations to assess system performance, rated capacity, and battery configuration.
Fisher Electric highlighted that solar and battery system design in Santa Cruz County mountain communities requires consideration of factors including roof orientation, mature tree canopy, shading, terrain, and structural conditions.
The company also pointed to changes in federal and state incentives affecting residential solar and battery investments. Fisher Electric said the federal 25D residential clean energy credit is no longer applicable to systems completed in 2026, while residential storage budgets under California’s Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) in PG&E territory were shown as closed or waitlisted as of September 7.
With fall approaching, Fisher Electric said it is expanding installation capacity in Felton and Ben Lomond to support homeowners seeking solar, battery storage, retrofit, and system assessment services ahead of potential PSPS events.
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