SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) reported that the company issued weather “all clears” for most counties within its service area currently impacted by Wednesday’s Public Safety Power Shutoff.
Current Restoration for Oct. 23 PSPS
As wind conditions improved this morning, at 9:45 a.m., a weather “all clear” was issued for customers in San Mateo county and those counties south of Interstate 80.
For customers in the North Bay and Sierra foothills above Interstate 80, PG&E has now issued an “all clear” and will begin inspections. We will continue to monitor conditions for the remaining customers impacted by this safety shutoff in Kern County where windy weather conditions are expected to continue until Friday midday.
PG&E expects all customers to be restored by Friday night or sooner, pending any damage found on the system.
Restoration Process
Safety patrols and inspections, which take place largely during daylight hours, will proceed throughout the day today and begin again at daybreak on Friday. More than 5,800 on-the-ground field personnel have been deployed and 42 helicopters are staged in the impacted areas. Helicopter inspections may be impacted by the Kincade firefighting efforts in Sonoma County.
Additional Widespread PSPS Potential for This Weekend
PG&E is also closely following a potentially strong, widespread dry offshore wind event on Saturday that is significant in scope and could impact the Sierra Foothills, North Bay, Peninsula, Central Coast, East Bay and Humboldt.
PG&E expects all customers impacted by Wednesday’s (Oct 23) PSPS event to have their power restored prior to the second potential PSPS event over the weekend. Some customers who will be restored today and tomorrow from this first event may also be included in this separate event this weekend. Customers should prepare by fully charging their communications, medical and other devices while the power remains on.
Kincade Fire
Late last night, CAL FIRE reported the Kincade fire broke out in the vicinity of Geyserville in Sonoma County near the area currently shut off for a PSPS. PG&E is working with authorities to gather additional information. There are currently approximately 27,800 customers without power in portions of Sonoma County, who had their power turned off for safety as part of the Public Safety Power Shutoff event. This area was de-energized by 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 23.
How Customers Can Prepare
In addition, PG&E is asking customers to:
- Update their contact information by calling 1-866-743-6589 during normal business hours. PG&E will use this information to alert customers through automated calls, texts and emails, when possible, prior to and during, a Public Safety Power Shutoff.
- 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 their emergency kits 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 their families safe at PG&E’s Safety Action Center.
While customers in high fire-threat areas are more likely to be affected by a Public Safety Power Shutoff event, any of PG&E's more than 5 million electric customers could have their power shut off because the energy system relies on power lines working together to provide electricity across cities, counties and regions.
Customer Resources
PG&E has opened 28 Community Resource Centers on Wednesday in areas where power was shut off. These centers will remain open in impacted areas throughout the PSPS to provide water, phone charging stations, air-conditioned seating for up to 100 people and restrooms. To view the current list, click here.
During the PSPS, customers in impacted areas will not be billed, and PG&E has paused disconnection and collection activities in these areas.
Customers can visit pge.com/pspsupdates for more information.
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.
