Streetlight Outage Updates

We have asked the Police Department to increase patrols in the following areas until the lights are restored.

Southern California Edison (SCE) is responsible for the transformer that supplies power to the streetlight system, and the City is responsible for everything after the transformer – wiring, poles, and streetlights. Any updates provided by SCE will be posted on our website.  

Euclid/Orangethorpe Circuit (map of outage)

The streetlights in the neighborhood have been out since 10/2/23 due to a problem with the SCE transformer. The City contacted SCE on 10/2/23 to report the issue. City staff last contacted SCE on 4/11/24, but Edison does not have a timeframe for repairs. 

Last Updated: April 11, 2024

1700 West Flower (map of outage)

The streetlights in the neighborhood have been out since 1/30/2024 due to a problem with the SCE transformer. The City contacted SCE on 1/30/2024 to report the issue and SCE said they were scheduling staff to access the transformers. City staff last contacted SCE on 4/11/24, but Edison does not have a timeframe for repairs. 

Last Updated: April 11, 2024

Fullerton Series Streetlight System and SCE

Fullerton’s series streetlight systems were designed and installed decades ago and are now obsolete. The streetlight technology in place utilizes electrical transformers owned by Southern California Edison (SCE) and lighting circuits and fixtures owned by the City of Fullerton, all of which are now outdated and can no longer be reliably and cost-effectively operated and maintained.

Fullerton’s streetlight system relies on Regulated Output (RO) transformers which are difficult to repair or replace, according to SCE. Additionally, the original design utilized mercury vapor (MV) lamps which are now unavailable and banned due to environmental and safety concerns.  In the 1980’s, Fullerton lamps were replaced with high pressure sodium vapor (HPSV) lamps, which do not have the same electrical performance characteristics as MV lamps. 

This has created failure of SCE-owned RO transformers due to increased inrush current as streetlights are turned on each night.  Inrush current is the instant high input drawn when electrical equipment is turned on. This older technology is also based on series circuit wiring between the lamp fixtures and the SCE transformer. 

View a map of series streetlights in the City of Fullerton.

Series Lighting Explanation

A series lighting circuit uses a constant, variable voltage source to supply electricity to lights connected to the circuit in a loop. There are three components to a series lighting circuit: constant current regulator, isolation transformer, and series circuit wiring.

The constant current regulator supplies electricity to the series circuit. The isolation transformer is the connection for the lights in a series circuit and regulates the electric current between lights. Series circuit wiring is a single wire loop that connects the power source to the lights one by one and wraps around to return to the power source.

There is only one flow of electricity in series lighting. The current will enter the first light with a positive charge and leave with a negative charge that the transformer will convert to positive for the next light in a series. The electric current flows in one direction on the series until all lights are supplied with energy. If one connection on this path is broken, then the circuit is broken. (Essentially, series lighting is the same as old Christmas tree lights - if a single light (connection) anywhere in the series goes out, then the rest of the lights in the series will not function.)

Report Street Light Out

Report Street Light Out

Public Works' Building & Facilities Division is responsible for repairing street lights on public streets. If you notice a street light on a public street has burned out or is malfunctioning, you can report it online or call Public Works at (714) 738-6897 or email maintenance@cityoffullerton.com.

Fullerton is divided into four street lighting districts, one for each day of the week, Monday through Thursday. We do our best to repair most street lights according to the weekly schedule, but sometimes repairs may take longer. There are more than 6,000 City-owned streetlights in the City, and only two electricians are available for repair work, so repairs can occasionally take longer than anticipated,

Some reasons repairs may be delayed

Many of the City’s street lights are decades old and parts are no longer readily available or manufactured. We may need to order a special repair part, which can take two or more weeks.

Electrical power for street lights is provided by Southern California Edison. If the problem is with the power system, repairs depend on Edison’s repair crew availability.

The Edison-owned power transformers for some of the older lighting systems are no longer manufactured. If Edison can’t repair the transformer, it has to order one to be specially rebuilt and installed. Rebuilding an outdated transformer can take two to three months. The City has been working with Edison to have at least one or two transformers in stock for immediate installation, but availability can’t be guaranteed.

Regardless of the time it takes to repair a street light, we do our best to keep our customers updated on repair status. If you have placed a repair request and the street light has not been repaired within 10 working days, please feel free to call Public Works at (714) 738-6897 to get an update on your request’s status.

Streetlights on Private Streets and Edison-owned Streetlights

If you live in a homeowner’s association (HOA) area, the street lights are probably maintained by Edison. Also, streetlights mounted on power poles are usually owned and maintained by Edison as well. You can call Southern California Edison (1-800-611-1911) or your Homeowner's Association for repairs.