Story perspectives

Bay Area Storms Leave 35,000 Without Power on Christmas

12/26/2025

Summary

Story summary

Severe winter storms damaged the Bay Area, leaving over 35,000 Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) customers without power on Christmas Day.
Wind gusts reached 92 mph in several Bay Area counties.
Mayor Daniel Lurie called for PG&E to reduce rates after outages, while PG&E has restored power to over 383,000 customers since the storms began.
City leaders weigh a municipal takeover of PG&E’s infrastructure to improve accountability.

History

Historical Context

California's utility landscape has faced turmoil since the late 1990s, culminating in PG&E's bankruptcy in January 2019 due to liabilities from catastrophic wildfires. The California Public Utilities Commission mandated PG&E to invest $1 billion in infrastructure improvements. Recent winter storms affecting over 35,000 customers highlight ongoing concerns about utility management and public safety, prompting discussions of municipal takeovers for better governance.

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Story summary

Severe winter storms damaged the Bay Area, leaving over 35,000 Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) customers without power on Christmas Day.
Wind gusts reached 92 mph in several Bay Area counties.
Mayor Daniel Lurie called for PG&E to reduce rates after outages, while PG&E has restored power to over 383,000 customers since the storms began.
City leaders weigh a municipal takeover of PG&E’s infrastructure to improve accountability.

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