PG&E May Proactively Shut Off Power for Safety to Approximately 20,000 Customers Across 24 Counties Starting This Morning

Rhea-AI Summary

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is monitoring a potential wind event that may require a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) for approximately 20,000 customers across 24 counties starting October 17, 2024. The scope has been reduced from earlier estimates due to favorable weather conditions. The PSPS could affect portions of counties including Alameda, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Fresno, Glenn, Lake, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Plumas, San Benito, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, and Yolo.

PG&E has removed nine counties and over 10,000 customers from the scope due to substantial wetting rainfall. The company will open Community Resource Centers in impacted areas to provide support. Customers are encouraged to prepare for potential outages and can find more information on PG&E's emergency website, which is now available in 16 languages.

Positive

• Reduced scope of potential PSPS event due to favorable weather conditions
• Removal of nine counties and over 10,000 customers from the scope
• Opening of Community Resource Centers to support affected customers
• Emergency website now available in 16 languages for improved communication

Negative

• Potential power shutoff affecting approximately 20,000 customers across 24 counties
• Disruption to daily life and business operations in affected areas
• Potential safety risks for Medical Baseline customers relying on electric-powered medical equipment

Insights

Utility Infrastructure Specialist

PG&E's announcement of a potential Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) affecting approximately 20,000 customers across 24 counties is a significant preventive measure. This proactive approach demonstrates the utility's commitment to wildfire risk mitigation, especially given the forecasted strong northerly winds and dry vegetation conditions.

The reduction in scope from earlier estimates due to favorable weather conditions, including substantial wetting rainfall in some areas, shows PG&E's dynamic risk assessment process. This flexibility in adjusting the PSPS scope based on real-time conditions is important for minimizing unnecessary disruptions while maintaining safety.

The company's comprehensive communication strategy, including advanced notifications and the availability of Community Resource Centers, reflects an improved approach to customer support during these events. However, frequent PSPS events can have significant economic impacts on affected communities and may influence public perception of PG&E's infrastructure reliability.

For investors, this event highlights PG&E's ongoing challenges in balancing safety measures with service reliability. While necessary for risk management, PSPS events can potentially lead to increased operational costs and regulatory scrutiny. Long-term, this underscores the need for continued investment in grid modernization and resilience to reduce the frequency and scope of such shutoffs.

Emergency Management Expert

PG&E's implementation of a potential PSPS event demonstrates a proactive emergency management approach. The detailed county-by-county breakdown of potentially affected customers, including Medical Baseline customers, shows a high level of preparedness and targeted response.

The company's multi-channel communication strategy, including text, email and automated phone calls, aligns with best practices in emergency notification. The availability of an online lookup tool for customers to check their status enhances transparency and allows for better individual preparedness.

The provision of Community Resource Centers offering essential services like device charging and up-to-date information is a critical component of community resilience during power outages. This approach helps mitigate the impact on vulnerable populations, particularly those with medical needs.

PG&E's emphasis on customer preparedness, including tips for safely managing during an outage and generator safety, reflects a comprehensive approach to public safety. However, the recurring nature of PSPS events underscores the ongoing challenges in California's wildfire-prone regions and the need for long-term solutions beyond temporary power shutoffs.

Scope of potential event reduced from earlier estimates due to favorable weather conditions

OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) meteorologists and operations professionals continue to monitor a potential wind event forecasted to enter parts of its service area around 1 p.m. on Thursday and exit as late as Saturday afternoon in some locations. Given the forecasted strong northerly winds and current dry vegetation conditions, PG&E has sent advanced notifications to customers—via text, email, and automated phone call—in targeted areas where power may need to be proactively shut off for safety to reduce wildfire risk. The duration and extent of power outages will depend on the weather in each area, and not all customers will be affected for the entire period.

Potentially Affected Customers, Counties  
Customers can look up their address online to find out if their location is being monitored for the potential safety shutoff at www.pge.com/pspsupdates. 

The potential Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event could affect approximately 20,000 customers in portions of the following counties:  

• Alameda County: 422 customers, 24 Medical Baseline customers
• Butte County: 1,153 customers, 87 Medical Baseline customers
• Colusa County: 606 customers, 30 Medical Baseline customers
• Contra Costa County: 973 customers, 59 Medical Baseline customers
• Fresno County: 1,235 customers, 75 Medical Baseline customers
• Glenn County: 508 customers, 21 Medical Baseline customers
• Lake County: 1,088 customers, 83 Medical Baseline customers
• Madera County: 1,310 customers, 109 Medical Baseline customers
• Mariposa County: 640 customers, 15 Medical Baseline customers
• Mendocino County: 13 customers, 4 Medical Baseline customers
• Merced County: 27 customers, 0 Medical Baseline customers
• Monterey County: 597 customers, 21 Medical Baseline customers
• Napa County: 3,103 customers,135 Medical Baseline customers
• Plumas County: 316 customers, 11 Medical Baseline customers
• San Benito County: 24 customers, 0 Medical Baseline customers
• Santa Barbara County: 155 customers, 4 Medical Baseline customers
• Santa Clara County: 663 customers, 41 Medical Baseline customers
• Santa Cruz County: 132 customers, 8 Medical Baseline customers
• Shasta County: 2,407customers, 194 Medical Baseline customers
• Solano County: 1,838 customers, 159 Medical Baseline customers
• Sonoma County: 1,010 customers, 23 Medical Baseline customers
• Stanislaus County: 27 customers, 0 Medical Baseline customers
• Tehama County: 2,056 customers, 199 Medical Baseline customers
• Yolo County: 262 customers, 15 Medical Baseline customers

A substantial wetting rainfall hit the Northern and Central Sierras Wednesday morning, providing a welcome boost to dead fuel moisture values and relative humidity in these areas. As a result of these favorable conditions, PG&E removed nine counties and more than 10,000 customers from the scope of this PSPS event. Counties removed from the scope of this event include: Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, San Luis Obispo, Sierra, and Tuolumne. PG&E has issued cancellation notifications to customers removed from the scope of this PSPS event. 

When possible, PG&E representatives will make individual, in-person visits to customers enrolled in the company's Medical Baseline Program who do not verify they have received important safety communications, with a primary focus on customers who rely on electricity for critical life-sustaining equipment. 

Customer Support
During PSPS events, PG&E opens Community Resource Centers where community members can access resources, including:

• A safe location to meet their basic power needs, such as charging medical equipment and electronic devices
• Up-to-date information about the PSPS
• Water, snacks, blankets, ADA-accessible restrooms and other essential items to reduce hardships to our customers

Dozens of Community Resource Centers will be open in impacted counties to provide support to customers between 8am and 10pm. For a full list of available CRCs, please visit pge.com/crc.

How Customers Can Prepare

• Use a cell phone or hard-wired phone. Cordless phones do not work without electricity.
• Use battery-operated flashlights, not candles, which may pose a fire hazard.
• Unplug or turn off all electric and heat-producing appliances (e.g., air conditioners, washers and dryers, ovens, stoves, irons) to avoid overloading circuits. Overloaded circuits can be a fire hazard once power is restored.
• Unplug televisions and computers that were in use when the power went out.
• Leave a single lamp on to alert you when power returns.
• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed, and place extra containers of ice inside to preserve food. A full freezer will remain colder longer.
• Notify your alarm company if you have an alarm system. Equipment can be affected by outages.
• Turn your appliances back on one at a time when conditions return to normal.
• Reset clocks, thermostats and other programmed equipment after power is restored.

Generator Safety
Backup power can be a vital part of any emergency preparedness plan in the event of a power outage. PG&E's residential and business customers can review key considerations, safety tips, financing and retailer information by visiting pge.com/backuppower.

Why PG&E Calls a PSPS Event  
PG&E initiates PSPS when the fire-weather forecast is severe enough that people's safety, lives, homes and businesses may be in danger of wildfires. Our overarching goal is to stop catastrophic wildfires by proactively turning off power in targeted areas when extreme weather threatens our electric grid. We recognize that PSPS outages create hardships for our customers and communities. Our sole focus is to keep our customers safe. 

As each weather situation is unique, we carefully review a combination of factors when deciding if power must be turned off. These factors include but are not limited to:  

• Low humidity levels, generally 30% and below. 
• A forecast of high winds, particularly sustained winds above 19 miles per hour and wind gusts above 30-40 miles per hour. 
• Condition of dry material on the ground and low moisture content of vegetation. 

Our decision-making process also accounts for the presence of trees tall enough to strike powerlines. This set of criteria is a first step which may lead to further analysis by our meteorology team to determine if a PSPS event is necessary. 

Where to Learn More 

• PG&E's emergency website (www.pge.com/pspsupdates) is now available in 16 languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Russian, Vietnamese, Korean, Farsi, Arabic, Hmong, Khmer, Punjabi, Japanese, Thai, Portuguese and Hindi. Customers have the opportunity to choose their language of preference for viewing the information when visiting the website. 
• Customers are encouraged to update their contact information and indicate their preferred language for notifications by visiting www.pge.com/mywildfirealerts or by calling 1-800-743-5000, where in-language support is available. 
• Tenants and non-account holders can sign up to receive PSPS ZIP Code Alerts for any area they you do not have a PG&E account by visiting www.pge.com/pspsupdates. 
• At PG&E's Safety Action Center (www.safetyactioncenter.pge.com) customers can prepare for emergencies. By using the "Make Your Own Emergency Plan" tool and answering a few short questions, visitors to the website can compile and organize the important information needed for a personalized family emergency plan. This includes phone numbers, escape routes and a family meeting location if an evacuation is necessary. 

About PG&E  
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com

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SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company

FAQ

When is PG&E (PCG) planning to implement the potential Public Safety Power Shutoff?

PG&E is monitoring a potential wind event forecasted to enter parts of its service area around 1 p.m. on Thursday, October 17, 2024, and may implement a PSPS that could last until Saturday afternoon in some locations.

How many customers could be affected by PG&E's (PCG) potential PSPS on October 17, 2024?

Approximately 20,000 customers across 24 counties could be affected by the potential Public Safety Power Shutoff.

What resources is PG&E (PCG) providing for customers during the potential PSPS event?

PG&E is opening Community Resource Centers in impacted counties, providing charging for medical equipment and electronic devices, up-to-date information, water, snacks, blankets, and ADA-accessible restrooms.

How can customers prepare for PG&E's (PCG) potential power shutoff on October 17, 2024?

Customers can prepare by using battery-operated flashlights, unplugging appliances, keeping refrigerator doors closed, and visiting PG&E's Safety Action Center for emergency planning tools.