Rancho Palos Verdes mayor appeals to Elon Musk for help with possible power shutoff

Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor John Cruikshank is appealing to tech billionaire Elon Musk for help in assisting homeowners dealing with gas shutoffs and possibly power shutoffs amid worsening landslides.

“While our community is resilient, this situation presents a unique opportunity to turn a setback into a showcase of sustainable living,” Cruikshank wrote in a letter to the Tesla founder on Aug. 8 and posted on X, which Musk also owns. “Given Tesla’s advancements in solar technology and storage solutions, we see a potential partnership to equip these homes with solar panels and Powerwall batteries.”

It is not clear whether Musk has received the letter or plans to visit the region; Tesla has not yet responded to requests for comment.

The coastal community has been dealing with a slow-moving landslide for decades, but historic rainstorms in 2023-24 have accelerated its movement and created the current emergency. Up to a foot of land movement per week has been recorded in recent months, fracturing the walls of homes and blowing off roofs, shearing underground pipes and opening massive fissures in the earth.

Since October, Rancho Palos Verdes has been under a local state of emergency.

On July 29, Southern California Gas Co. abruptly cut off natural gas service to 135 homes in the coastal city, citing risks to public safety. The next day, Southern California Edison notified more than 500 homes that power may soon be cut off as well.

An electricity shutoff would raise a number of community safety issues, city officials said, because electricity is key for telecommunication lines, the sewer system and the pumps that expel the groundwater that geologists say causes ground movement.

Some residents have already left, but many remain in their homes, scrambling to find ways to take a hot shower, cook dinner and warm their homes as they prepare for the rainy season without access to natural gas.

Cruikshank invited Musk to tour the landslide area “at your earliest convenience.” A partnership with the struggling Rancho Palos Verdes community, he added, would “demonstrate the viability of clean energy solutions in a real-world scenario, solidifying Tesla’s role as a leader in the green energy revolution.”

Cruikshank also sent a letter this month requesting state and federal assistance for further landslide repairs, as well as for individual residents. Landslides are usually not covered by the California Disaster Assistance Act, or by typical homeowners insurance policies.

Times staff writer Grace Toohey contributed to this report.