Equipment Blamed for 2 Friday Power Outages

Faulty equipment was blamed for power outages that blacked-out sections of Solana Beach and El Cajon Friday morning, cutting electrical power to more than 2,200 homes, a San Diego Gas & Electric Co. spokesman said. A short in a section of the county’s underground electrical cable system at Sierra Avenue, one block north of Via de la Valle in Solana Beach, cut power to 248 area residents at 8:56 a.m., said SDG&E; spokesman Tom Murnane. Power was gradually restored by 2:14 p.m. Murnane attributed the faulty cable to normal wear and tear. In El Cajon, a clamp used to support an electrical line collapsed at 10:25 a.m., SDG&E; spokesman Dave Smith said. The downed line cut electrical power to about 2,000 customers. Murnane said residents and businesses in the center of the city--from Madison Avenue on the north to Washington Avenue on the south, and Johnson Avenue on the west to 1st Street on the east--were effected by the power outage.

Power was restored an hour later, Smith said.