PG&E Restores 57% of Customers Impacted by PG&E’s PSPS Outages While Preparing to Turn Off Power Again

San Francisco, CA…PG&E reported Monday (Oct. 28) 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 Oct. 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 Oct. 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 about 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 p.m. on Oct. 28:

Phase 1 — 5 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29 (Butte, Plumas, Tehama, Trinity and Shasta counties)
Phase 2 — 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29 (El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sierra and Yuba counties)
Phase 3 — 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29 (Alpine, Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne counties)
Phase 4 — 7 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29 (Humboldt-Southern, Mendocino and Sonoma counties)
Phase 5 — 7 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29 (Lake, Napa, Solano and Yolo counties)
Phase 6 — 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29 (Humboldt-Northern and Siskiyou counties)
Phase 7 — 11 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29 (Marin, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties)
Phase 8 — 11 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29 (Alameda and Contra Costa counties)
Phase 9 — 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29 (Kern County)
Counties and customers potentially impacted

Alameda — 10,306 customers in Castro Valley, Oakland
Alpine — 66 customers in Bear Valley
Amador County — 12,132 customers in Fiddletown, Jackson, Pioneer, Pine Grove, Sutter Creek
Butte County — 15,790 customers in Bangor, Berry Creek, Butte Meadows, Clipper Mills, Forbestown, Forest Ranch, Magalia, Oroville, Stirling City
Calaveras County — 16,971 customers in 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 County — 204 customers in portions of Contra Costa
El Dorado County — 31,782 customers in 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 County — 66,447 customers in 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 County — 839 customers in Lebec
Lake County — 37,441 customers in Clearlake, Clearlake Oaks, Cobb, Finley, Glenhaven, Hidden Valley Lake, Kelseyville, Lakeport, Loch Lomond, Lower Lake, Lucerne, Middletown, Nice, Upper Lake, Witter Springs
Marin County — 119,533 customers in 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 County — 38,137 customers in 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 County — 14,900 customers in American Canyon, Angwin, Calistoga, Deer Park, Napa, Pope Valley, Rutherford
Nevada County — 43,211 customers in Grass Valley, Nevada City, Norden, North San Juan, Penn Valley, Rough and Ready, Soda Springs, Washington
Placer County — 22,996 customers in Alta, Applegate, Auburn, Baxter, Colfax, Dutch Flat, Emigrant Gap, Foresthill, Gold Run, Lincoln, Meadow Vista, Newcastle, Penryn, Weimar
Plumas County — 785 customers in Bellden, La Porte, Quincy, Storrie
San Mateo County — 13,209 customers in El Granada, Half Moon Bay, La Honda, Loma Mar, Montera, Moss Beach, Pescadero, San Gregorio
Santa Clara County — 496 customers in portions of Santa Clara County
Santa Cruz County — 5,408 customers in Boulder Creek, Davenport
Shasta County — 26,700 customers in 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 County — 1,159 customers in Alleghany, Downieville, Goodyears Bar, Sierra City
Siskiyou County — 51 customers in Somes Bar
Solano County — 19,785 customers in Vallejo
Sonoma County — 86,686 customers in 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 County — 1,695 customers in Los Molinos, Manton, Mineral, Paynes Creek
Trinity County — 1,046 customers in Burnt Ranch, Salyer, Zenia
Tuolumne County — 2,591 customers in Pine Crest, Strawberry
Yolo County — 290 customers in Guinda, Rumsey, Winters
Yuba County — 5,314 customers in 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 October PSPS, there were more than 100 instances of damage and hazards on PG&E’s 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 Oct. 23 PSPS and more than 50 as a result of the Oct. 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.