IMPORTANT

PG&E Moves Forward With New Public Safety Power Shutoff to About 600 Customers in Kern County  

Date: January 24, 2025
PSPS decorative

UPDATE: 9 a.m., Friday, Jan. 24

 

Today (Jan 24), PG&E issued a weather all-clear for areas impacted by the PSPS event that began on Wednesday (Jan. 22) in Kern County. The weather all-clear allows crews to begin patrols, inspect electrical equipment for damage and make any necessary repairs before safely restoring power to customers.

 

PG&E began proactively shutting off power for safety to approximately 600 customers in Kern County as part of a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.

PG&E operations professionals shut off power on several sections of powerlines in Kern County because of a forecasted dry and gusty wind event that entered southern parts of our service area Monday and exited this afternoon.

 

Given the forecasted dry and gusty winds and current dry vegetation conditions, PG&E sent advanced notifications to customers — via text, email, and automated phone call — in targeted areas where power could be proactively shut off for safety to reduce wildfire risk.

 

In some areas Wednesday evening, wind gusts reached 49 mph. Relative humidity readings in the area were as low as five percent. Relative humidity is a key factor in calculating fire risk.

 

Restoration Steps: 

  • Weather “All-Clear”: After high winds have passed, and it is safe to do so, a weather “all-clear” is issued for our crews to begin patrols and inspect electrical equipment. 
  • Patrol and Inspect: Our crews visually inspect for potential weather-related damage to powerlines, poles and towers. This is done by vehicle, foot and air.  
  • Isolate and Repair Damage: If crews find equipment damage, they work to isolate the damaged area from the rest of the system. Other parts of the system can then be restored. 
  • Restore Power: Once the poles, towers and lines are safe to energize, our Control Center restores power to affected areas.  
  • Notify Customers: We notify customers that power has been restored. 

 

UPDATE: 10:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 22

 

Due to increasing fire risk conditions, PSPS has shut off power for the remaining five customers who had received prior notice of today’s potential PSPS event. All customers forecasted to be impacted by this event are currently without power. These customers will receive notices when the weather allows crews to begin patrols and start the restoration process, which is expected Friday morning. 

 

UPDATE: 8 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 22

 

After monitoring weather conditions and wind throughout the morning and afternoon, PG&E moved forward with a PSPS de-energization shortly after 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22. 

 

This PSPS affects ~600 customers. (Five additional customers in Kern County still might be de-energized based on conditions, which are being continuously monitored.) 

 

6 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 21

 

PG&E operations and meteorology professionals are monitoring a potential offshore wind event forecasted to enter southern parts of our service area Wednesday evening and exit Friday morning. Dry winds with up to 60 mph gusts are expected in southern Kern County. 

 

Given the forecast and current dry vegetation conditions, PG&E began sending advanced notifications to customers in targeted areas where power may need to be proactively shut off for safety to reduce wildfire risk. The duration and extent of power outages will depend on the weather.     

 

The potential Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event could affect about 600 customers in southern Kern County.   

 

  • Kern County: 589 customers, 26 Medical Baseline customers    

 

Support for impacted customers 

 

Some impacted customers experienced a PSPS last week as well as multiple times since the start of 2025. We recognize that PSPS outages create hardships for our customers and communities. Our sole focus is to keep our customers safe. Learn more about why the same customers in this area continue to get impacted by PSPS. 

 

On Monday, January 20, PG&E opened a Community Resource Center at the Lebec Post Office (2132 Lebec Road) that will continue to be opened daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. through the end of this event.  During a PSPS, Community Resource Centers offer community members access to resources, including:  

 

  • A safe, heated location to meet their basic power needs, such as charging medical equipment and electronic devices  
  • Up-to-date information about the PSPS  
  • Water, snacks, blankets, ADA-accessible restrooms and other essential items to reduce hardships to our customers 
  • Grab-and-go bags with essential items such as water, snacks, and a PSPS information card with additional PSPS resources including where to find estimated restoration times. 

 

More information on PSPS   

 

PG&E initiates PSPS when the fire-weather forecast is severe enough that people’s safety, lives, homes and businesses may be in danger of wildfires. Our overarching goal is to stop catastrophic wildfires by proactively turning off power in targeted areas when extreme weather threatens our electric grid.  

 

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