PSPS Underway: PG&E Turned Off Power for Safety

UPDATE: 12:30 p.m. Friday, October 16

With the windy weather having passed for portions of the following 19 counties, PG&E crews have begun initial patrols to inspect powerlines and equipment. This is the first step to turn power back on following a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS). For more information, visit: www.pge.com/pspsupdates.
 

• Alameda 
• Alpine
• Amador
• Calaveras
• Contra Costa
• El Dorado
• Fresno
• Lake
• Lassen
• Madera
• Mariposa
• Napa
• Shasta
• Solano
• Sonoma
• Tehama
• Tulare
• Tuolumne
• Yolo

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UPDATE: 8 a.m., Friday, October 16
All customers included within the current Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) have been de‑energized.

When the weather event passes, PG&E crews will begin the restoration process, which includes inspecting power lines and equipment to identify damage or potential hazards that may need repairs prior to turning the power back on. These steps are critical to keeping communities safe and helping prevent wildfires.

The following includes all customers de-energized within the current PSPS event:

• Alameda - 4705 customers
• Alpine - 660 customers
• Amador - 4557 customers
• Butte - 3097 customers
• Calaveras - 10793 customers
• Contra Costa - 1605 customers
• El Dorado - 8757 customers
• Fresno - 3010 customers
• Kern - 1117 customers
• Lake - 3601 customers
• Lassen - 88 customers
• Madera - 7273 customers
• Mariposa - 1326 customers
• Mendocino - 778 customers
• Napa - 3027 customers
• Nevada - 2137 customers
• Placer - 5306 customers
• Plumas - 706 customers
• San Luis Obispo - 8771 customers
• Santa Barbara - 1100 customers
• Shasta - 1449 customers
• Sierra - 1149 customers
• Solano - 30 customers
• Sonoma - 2041 customers
• Tehama - 835 customers
• Tulare - 312 customers
• Tuolumne - 7248 customers
• Yolo - 8 customers
• Yuba - 419 customers

Grand Total - 85905 customers

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UPDATE: 5:30 p.m., Thursday, October 15

As of 5:30 p.m., all customers who were expected to be de-energized today are without power. Additional de-energizations are expected to continue tomorrow morning in three counties (Kern, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara).

Customers Currently De-Energized

• Alameda - 4705 customers
• Alpine - 660 customers
• Amador - 4557 customers
• Butte - 3097 customers
• Calaveras - 10793 customers
• Contra Costa - 1605 customers
• El Dorado - 8757 customers
• Fresno - 3010 customers
• Kern - 578 customers
• Lake - 3601 customers
• Lassen - 88 customers
• Madera - 7273 customers
• Mariposa - 1326 customers
• Mendocino - 778 customers
• Napa - 3027 customers
• Nevada - 2137 customers
• Placer - 5306 customers
• Plumas - 706 customers
• San Luis Obispo - 4483 customers
• Shasta - 1449 customers
• Sierra - 1149 customers
• Solano - 30 customers
• Sonoma - 2041 customers
• Tehama - 835 customers
• Tulare - 312 customers
• Tuolumne - 7248 customers
• Yolo - 8 customers
• Yuba - 419 customers

Grand Total: 79978 customers

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UPDATE: 1 p.m., Thursday, October 15

At 12:19 PM, the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) was canceled for parts of Shasta County. Approximately 1,500 customers will receive notices that their PSPS event has been canceled. However, some areas in Shasta County may still have their power shut off for safety. To check if your address is still included in scope, please visit pge.com/pspsupdates.

Customers Currently De-Energized

• Alameda - 4705 customers

• Alpine - 660 customers

• Amador - 4557 customers

• Butte - 3097 customers

• Calaveras - 10793 customers

• Contra Costa - 1605 customers

• El Dorado - 8757 customers

• Kern - 578 customers

• Lake - 3601 customers

• Lassen - 88 customers

• Mariposa - 322 customers

• Mendocino - 778 customers

• Napa - 3027 customers

• Nevada - 2137 customers

• Placer - 5306 customers

• Plumas - 706 customers

• San Luis Obispo - 4483 customers

• Shasta - 1449 customers

• Sierra - 1149 customers

• Solano - 30 customers

• Sonoma - 2041 customers

• Tehama - 835 customers

• Tuolumne - 7248 customers

• Yolo - 8 customers

• Yuba - 419 customers

Grand Total - 68379

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UPDATE: 10 a.m., Thursday, October 15

Even if the powerlines in your neighborhood are underground, the electricity serving your community may travel through overhead lines in other areas. If those lines are exposed to severe weather and wildfire risk, we may need to turn off power for safety. Undergrounding significantly reduces wildfire risk and the need for safety shutoffs, but it doesn't necessarily eliminate PSPS impacts altogether. 

As of 10 a.m. Thursday, here are the number of customers who have had their power shut off for safety, by county:

Customers Currently De-Energized

• Alameda - 3678 customers
• Alpine - 68 customers
• Amador - 4776 customers
• Butte - 3675 customers
• Calaveras - 10281 customers
• Contra Costa - 2576 customers
• El Dorado - 8529 customers
• Lake - 4115 customers
• Lassen - 107 customers
• Mariposa - 311 customers
• Mendocino - 444 customers
• Napa - 2888 customers
• Nevada - 1868 customers
• Placer - 4255 customers
• Plumas - 610 customers
• San Luis Obispo - 4411 customers
• Shasta - 1484 customers
• Sierra - 1109 customers
• Solano - 51 customers
• Sonoma - 1987 customers
• Tehama - 905 customers
• Tuolumne - 8182 customers
• Yolo - 7 customers
• Yuba - 406 customers

Grand Total - 66723 customers

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UPDATE: 6 a.m., Thursday, October 15

Overnight, PG&E continued to de-energize customers for safety ahead of forecasted high winds and dry conditions across portions of our service area. As of 6 a.m. Thursday, here are the number of customers who have had their power shut off for safety, by county:

Customers Currently De-Energized

Additional power shutoffs will occur this morning and again tomorrow morning.

Customers can check their address for outage start and estimated time of restoration, and get other information at pge.com/pspsupdates.

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UPDATE: 11:30 p.m., Wednesday, October 14

As of 11:30 p.m., PG&E continues to initiate its Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS), de-energizing approximately 46,000 customers in targeted areas across its service territory due to forecasted high winds and dry conditions.

Counties that are currently experiencing shutoffs include: Lassen, Shasta, Butte, Plumas, Yuba, Sierra, Placer, Nevada, Amador, Mariposa, Calaveras, Alpine, Tuolumne, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, Napa, Alameda and Contra Costa. Tribal governments experiencing shutoffs include: Pit River Rancheria, Mooretown Rancheria, Tuolumne Rancheria and Guidiville Rancheria.

PG&E will continue to monitor conditions, and additional areas may be de-energized as needed to reduce wildfire risk from energized powerlines.

Customers can enter their address online to see whether their location is being monitored for a potential safety shutoff at pge.com/pspsupdates.

For the latest information on Community Resource Center availability, visit pge.com/crc.

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UPDATE: 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, October 14

We have begun turning off power for safety ahead of forecasted high winds and dry conditions across portions of our service area.

Approximately 88,000 customers across 29 counties are in scope for this PSPS event, including approximately 5,500 Medical Baseline customers. Customers in scope have received multiple notifications about the event.

PG&E’s focus remains on keeping our customers and communities safe and making sure customers have the information, resources and support they need.

Customers can check their address for outage start and estimated time of restoration, and get other information at pge.com/pspsupdates.

For customers who need additional support, help is available through 211 before, during and after an outage. Customers can call 211, text “PSPS” to 211 or visit 211.org to connect with available resources.

We will be opening more than 40 Community Resource Centers across 25 counties to support customers during the event. The centers offer device charging, Wi-Fi, bottled water, snacks and other supplies.

Weather conditions will continue to evolve, and our teams will monitor conditions closely throughout the event, adjusting the scope and timing as needed.

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UPDATE, 11:55 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 13

PG&E is continuing to monitor a potential Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) as a dry offshore wind event is forecast to move into the service area Wednesday evening, Oct. 14, and continue through Saturday evening, Oct. 17. The strongest winds are expected in the Sierra, southern Central Coast, and parts of the North and East Bay.

Updated models and forecasts have increased the potential impact to about 88,000 customers across 29 counties. Customer notifications by text, email and automated phone call began Monday, Oct. 12. Customers can check whether their address is being monitored for a potential safety shutoff at pge.com/pspsupdates.

PG&E’s top priority is the safety of customers and communities. The decision to turn off power for safety is not taken lightly, and PSPS is used as a measure of last resort within PG&E’s layered wildfire protection strategy.

Counties in Scope

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UPDATE, 3 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 13

PG&E is monitoring a potential dry offshore wind event from Wednesday evening, Oct. 14, through Saturday evening, Oct. 17. The strongest winds are expected in the Sierra, southern Central Coast, and parts of the North and East Bay. Given the winds and extremely dry vegetation, PG&E sent advance notifications to customers in targeted areas that may require power shutoffs to reduce wildfire risk from energized powerlines.

The potential Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) could affect about 70,000 customers across 29 counties. About 4,000 customers affected by PSPS events earlier in the week may be affected again, while about 5,700 customers originally included have been removed from scope.

Key points about this PSPS event:

• Offshore winds will peak Thursday across the northern and central Sierra and parts of the North and East Bay.
• Winds will be strongest Friday in the southern Sierra, with Santa Ana winds expanding into southern Los Padres and across the Tehachapis.

5 ways to prepare for a potential PSPS

Preparation is the best way to reduce the impact of a potential PSPS. Taking a few simple steps now can help keep you and your family safe and comfortable if an outage becomes necessary.

1. Make sure your contact information is up to date — Ensure PG&E has your current phone number and email address so you can receive important PSPS notifications, updates and restoration information. Customers can also sign up for Address Alerts to receive notifications for locations where they don't have an account.
2. Charge essential devices and prepare for medical needs — Fully charge phones, laptops, backup battery packs and any medical devices before a potential outage. Customers who rely on electricity for medical needs should review their backup plans and prepare in advance.
3. Build or restock your emergency kit — Have enough water, nonperishable food, medications, flashlights, batteries, first-aid supplies and pet supplies to last through an extended outage.
4. Take steps to protect refrigerated and frozen food — Freeze extra containers of water and make extra ice before the outage. Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible during an outage. An unopened refrigerator will typically keep food cold for up to four hours, while a full freezer can keep food frozen for up to two days.
5. Know where to find information and resources — Visit PG&E's PSPS Updates website for the latest information and familiarize yourself with available Community Resource Centers, which offer charging stations, information, water, snacks and other support during a PSPS.

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PG&E is monitoring an offshore wind event beginning Wednesday, October 14 through Saturday, October 17. In response, PG&E has activated its Emergency Operations Center and has sent advanced notifications in targeted areas where PG&E may need to proactively turn power off for safety to reduce the risk of wildfire from energized powerlines.

Elevated fire danger is expected due to dry and gusty conditions across much of the territory. Strongest winds are expected in the Sierras, Southern Central Coast and portions of the North and East Bay.

The potential Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event is anticipated to begin late Wednesday and continue through Saturday. Approximately 30,000 customers in targeted areas of 22 counties are currently in scope, including approximately 2,000 Medical Baseline customers and two tribal governments.

Approximately 3,000 customers who experienced a PSPS event last weekend may be affected again due to this emerging wind event. For many customers, this will be their first PSPS event since the program was established in 2018, and PG&E is conducting additional outreach to explain how PSPS works, why PG&E calls them and how they can be prepared.

Customer counts and locations may change, depending on evolving weather and operational conditions.

Potentially affected counties and customer numbers

Customer notifications via text, email, and automated phone calls began late Monday, October 12, approximately two days before the potential shutoff. When possible, PG&E employees will conduct individual in-person visits to customers enrolled in the company's Medical Baseline Program who do not verify they have received these important safety communications, with a primary focus on customers who rely on electricity for critical life-sustaining equipment.

Customers can look up their address online to find out if their location is being monitored for the potential safety shutoff at pge.com/pspsupdates.

PG&E's commitment is that catastrophic wildfires shall stop. PG&E is determined to protect our hometowns from wildfires, and a PSPS is a last resort.

Once severe weather has passed, and it is safe to do so, PG&E will work quickly and nimbly to patrol and inspect lines to restore power for customers as soon as possible.