news-events

OCT 26 PSPS UPDATE: PG&E Restores 57% or 556,400 of Customers Impacted by Historic Wind Event and Public Safety Power Shutoff

10/29/2019

OCT 29 PSPS UPDATE: PG&E Prepares for Next Offshore Wind Event Expected to Impact Some 596,000 Customers Starting Tomorrow

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) reported Monday evening that it had restored approximately 57% of the 970,000 customers who had their power turned off for safety as part of a Public Safety Power Shutoff that began October 26.

As of 10 p.m. today, about 556,400 customers had been restored in portions of the following counties: (county list*).

PSPS Event on October 29 Due to Wind Forecasts

PG&E is closely following another potentially widespread dry, offshore wind event on Tuesday, Oct. 29, through midday Wednesday, Oct. 30. The shutoff is expected to impact approximately 596,000 customers in for Northern and Southern Sierra, North Bay, Bay Area, Santa Cruz mountains, North Coast and Kern County. Given fluctuations in the forecasts, PG&E continues to analyze whether this wind event will prompt more safety shutoffs, and the extent of those shutoffs.

Timeline for safety shutoffs

The times below are estimates and may change (earlier or later) dependent on the dynamic weather environment. Times below as of 8:00 p.m. on October 28, 2019:

Phase

Time/Date

Counties

1

5 A.M. Tuesday, Oct 29

Butte, Plumas, Tehama, Trinity, and Shasta

2

9 A.M. Tuesday, Oct 29

El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sierra, and Yuba

3

4 P.M. Tuesday, Oct 29

Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, and Tuolumne

4

7 A.M. Tuesday, Oct 29

Humboldt (Southern), Mendocino, and Sonoma

5

7 A.M. Tuesday, Oct 29

Lake, Napa, Solano and Yolo

6

9 P.M. Tuesday, Oct 29

Humboldt (Northern) and Siskiyou

7

11 P.M. Tuesday, Oct 29

Marin, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and San Mateo

8

11 P.M. Tuesday, Oct 29

Alameda, Contra Costa

9

9 P.M. Tuesday, Oct 29

Kern

Counties and Customers Potentially Impacted

County

Customers

Medical Baseline

Cities or unincorporated areas with some customers potentially impacted

Alameda

10,306

352

Castro Valley, Oakland

Alpine

66

-

Bear Valley

Amador

12,132

623

Fiddletown, Jackson, Pioneer, Pine Grove, Sutter Creek

Butte

15,790

1,131

Bangor, Berry Creek, Butte Meadows, Clipper Mills, Forbestown, Forest Ranch, Magalia, Oroville, Stirling City

Calaveras

16,971

570

Arnold, Bear Valley, Camp Connell, Glencoe, Hathaway Pines, Mokelumne Hill, Murphys, Rail Road Flat, San Andreas, Sheep Ranch, West Point, White Pines, Wilseyville

Contra Costa

204

4

Portions of Contra Costa

El Dorado

31,782

1,477

Camino, Coloma, Cool, Diamond Springs, Garden Valley, Georgetown, Greenwood, Grizzly Flats, Kelsey, Kyburz, Lotus, Mount Aukum, Pacific House, Pilot Hill, Placerville, Pollock Pines, Somerset, Twin Bridges

Humboldt

66,447

2,068

Alton, Arcata, Bayside, Blocksburg, Blue Lake, Carlotta, Eureka, Ferndale, Fields Landing, Fortuna, Garberville, Honeydew, Hoopa, Hydesville, Kneeland, Korbel, Loleta, McKinleyville, Miranda, Myers Flat, Orick, Orleans, Petrolia, Phillipsville, Redcrest, Redway, Rio Del, Samoa, Scotia, Trinidad, Weott, Whitethorn, Willow Creek

Kern

839

27

Lebec

Lake

37,441

2,170

Clearlake, Clearlake Oaks, Cobb, Finley, Glenhaven, Hidden Valley Lake, Kelseyville, Lakeport, Loch Lomond, Lower Lake, Lucerne, Middletown, Nice, Upper Lake, Witter Springs

Marin

119,533

2,115

Belvedere, Bolinas, Corte Madera, Dillon Beach, Fairfax, Fallon, Forest Knolls, Greenbrae, Kentfield, Lagunitas, Larkspur, Marshall, Mill Valley, Muir Beach, Nicasio, Novato, Ross, San Anselmo, San Geronimo, San Rafael, Sausalito, Stinson Beach, Tiburon, Tamales, Wood Acre

Mendocino

38,137

1,331

Albion, Boonville, Branscomb, Caspar, Comptche, Covelo, Cummings, Dos Rios, Elk, Fort Bragg, Gualala, Hopland, Laytonville, Leggett, Little River, Manchester, Mendocino, Navarro, Philo, Piercy, Point Arena, Potter Valley, Redwood Valley, Ukiah, Westport, Willits, Yorkville

Napa

14,900

420

American Canyon, Angwin, Calistoga, Deer Park, Napa, Pope Valley, Rutherford

Nevada

43,211

1,822

Auburn, Emigrant Gap, Grassvalley, Nevada City, Norden, North San Juan, Penn Valley, Rough and Ready, Soda Springs, Washington

Placer

22,996

897

Alta, Applegate, Auburn, Baxter, Colfax, Dutch Flat, Emigrant Gap, Foresthill, Gold Run, Lincoln, Meadow Vista, Newcastle, Penryn, Weimar

Plumas

785

6

Bellden, La Porte, Quincy, Storrie

San Mateo

13,209

242

El Granada, Half Moon Bay, La Honda, Loma Mar, Montera, Moss Beach, Pescadero, San Gregorio

Santa Clara

496

12

Portions of Santa Clara County

Santa Cruz

5,408

280

Boulder Creek, Davenport

Shasta

26,700

1582

Anderson, Bella Vista, Cottonwood, French Gulch, Igo, Lake Head, Millville, Montgomery Creek, Oak Run, Pala Cedro, Platina, Redding, Round Mountain, Shasta, Singletown, Whiskeytown, Whitmore

Sierra

1,159

14

Alleghany, Comptonville, Downieville, Goodyears Bar, Sierra City

Siskiyou

51

-

Somes Bar

Solano

19,785

901

Vallejo

Sonoma

86,686

2721

Annapolis, Bodega, Bodega Bay, Camp Meeker, Cazadero, Cloverdale, Cotati, Duncan Mills, Forestville, Geyserville, Glen Ellen, Graton, Guerneville, Healdsburg, Jenner, Kenwood, Monte Rio, Occidental, Penn Grove, Rio Nido, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Sonoma, Sea Ranch, Valley Ford, Villa Grande, Windsor

Tehama

1,695

60

Cottonwood, Los Molinos, Manton, Mineral, Paynes Creek

Trinity

1,046

39

Burnt Ranch, Salyer, Zenia

Tuolumne

2,591

26

Pine Crest, Strawberry

Yolo

290

12

Guinda, Rumsey, Winters

Yuba

5,314

306

Browns Valley, Brownsville, Camptonville, Challenge, Dobbins, Marysville, Oregon House, Rackerby, Smartsville, Strawberry Valley

The sole intent of a PSPS is to prevent a catastrophic wildfire sparked by electrical equipment during extreme weather events.

Winds generally above 45 mph are known to cause damage to the lower-voltage distribution system and winds above 50 mph are known to cause damage to higher-voltage transmission equipment.

Following the Oct. 9 PSPS we had more than 100 instances of damage and hazards on our distribution and transmission lines from wind gusts of this strength.

It is possible that customers impacted by the Oct. 26 PSPS could be part of the Oct. 29 shutoff. It’s also possible that power restoration for some customers impacted by the Oct. 26 shutoff will not be complete before the next safety shutoff must begin. Time of restoration depends on inspections and any repairs of wind damage to the electric system.

To date, PG&E has confirmed seven instances of weather-related damage to its system in the PSPS-impacted areas, as a result of the October 23 PSPS and more than 50 as a result of the October 26 PSPS (with additional instances of potential weather-related damages still being assessed). Examples of damages include downed lines and vegetation on power lines.

For customers who are restored between events, PG&E urges them to use the time to charge any medical equipment, phones and other electronic devices and restock emergency kits.

Customer Notifications

PG&E has begun notifying customers who could potentially be affected by the next PSPS event via text, email and automated phone calls.

Customers enrolled in the company’s Medical Baseline program who do not verify that they have received these important safety communications will be individually visited by a PG&E employee when possible. A primary focus will be given to those customers who rely on electricity for critical life-sustaining equipment.

How Customers Can Prepare

As part of PSPS preparedness efforts, PG&E is asking customers to:

  • Plan for medical needs like medications that require refrigeration or devices that need power.
  • Identify backup charging methods for phones and keep hard copies of emergency numbers.
  • Build or restock your emergency kit with flashlights, fresh batteries, first aid supplies and cash.
  • Keep in mind family members who are elderly, younger children and pets.
  • Learn more about wildfire risk and what to do before, during and after an emergency to keep your family safe at PG&E’s Safety Action Center.

Community Resource Centers

PG&E has opened Community Resource Centers in several locations. These centers will be open during daylight hours, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., until power has been restored. Restrooms, bottled water, electronic-device charging and air-conditioned seating for up to 100 will be available at each of these facilities. Locations of these centers are listed at www.pge.com/pspsupdates.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com and www.pge.com/news.

*COUNTY LIST

A total of approximately 970,000 customers in portions of the following 37 counties were impacted by shutoffs during this historic weather event: Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, San Benito, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, Yolo and Yuba.

Media Relations
415-973-5930

Source: Pacific Gas and Electric Company

RSS

Shareholder Information

EQ Shareowner Services
Transfer Agent
1-888-489-4689

PG&E Shareholder Services
CorporateSecretary@pge.com

Investor Relations Contact Info

invrel@pge-corp.com

Receive Email Alerts

*
*