Story perspectives

San Francisco Power Outage Affects 130,000; Waymo Suspends Service

12/22/2025

Summary

Story summary

A major power outage hit San Francisco on Saturday, leaving about 130,000 customers without power.
The outage began in the Richmond and Presidio neighborhoods and spread, and a PG&E substation fire contributed to the outage.
Self-driving cars stalled because traffic signals failed.
Waymo suspended its ride-hailing service for safety.
By Saturday night, PG&E had restored power to 95,000 customers, with about 35,000 still affected, and crews continued overnight.

History

Historical Context

In 1998, a significant power outage in San Francisco left over 200,000 residents without electricity due to a substation failure, highlighting vulnerabilities in urban infrastructure. This incident parallels a recent outage affecting 130,000 customers, emphasizing ongoing challenges cities face in maintaining reliable power systems. Such events are increasingly critical as technology, including self-driving cars, becomes more integrated into urban life.

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Story summary

A major power outage hit San Francisco on Saturday, leaving about 130,000 customers without power.
The outage began in the Richmond and Presidio neighborhoods and spread, and a PG&E substation fire contributed to the outage.
Self-driving cars stalled because traffic signals failed.
Waymo suspended its ride-hailing service for safety.
By Saturday night, PG&E had restored power to 95,000 customers, with about 35,000 still affected, and crews continued overnight.

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