Full Breakdown
PG&E Plans Power Shutoffs for 30,000 Customers Amid Elevated Fire Risk
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Planned Public Safety Power Shutoffs
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced that it will activate its Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) protocols from mid-week through the weekend. The utility expects to cut electricity to roughly 30,000 customers across 22 California counties in order to lower the likelihood that its equipment could ignite wildfires.
Background on the PSPS Program
PSPS events are pre-emptive outages triggered when fire-danger conditions—such as low humidity, dry vegetation, and strong winds—reach levels that could cause utility-related ignitions. PG&E has employed the program repeatedly in recent years as a preventive measure during California’s fire-prone seasons.
Affected Customers and Communities
- Approximately 30,000 residential and commercial customers will lose service.
- The outages could impact about 2,000 “Medical Baseline” customers who rely on electricity for health-critical equipment.
- Two tribal governments are also listed among those potentially affected.
- An additional 3,000 customers who experienced a PSPS event the previous weekend may be subject to another outage.
Official Statement from PG&E
The utility emphasized that the shutdowns are intended to reduce the chance of its equipment starting fires.
Anticipated Impact and Next Steps
The company provided a map of the projected outage zones and directed customers to a real-time outage map for updates. Residents in the identified areas are advised to prepare for loss of power, especially those with medical-baseline needs, and to follow any additional guidance issued by local authorities.