PG&E Currents
| 8.29.23

PSPS Updates: Power Restored to All PG&E Customers Impacted by the Recent, Targeted Public Safety Power Shutoff 

UPDATE: Thursday, Aug. 31, 12 p.m. (NOON) 

As of Thursday (Aug. 31) morning, power has been restored to all customers impacted by the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) that began early on Wednesday (Aug. 30). Nearly 90% of customers impacted were restored by last night.    
 
The PSPS event impacted approximately 3,900 customers across seven counties, along with two tribal communities, that experienced windy and hot weather amidst dry conditions. Meteorologists reported that the peak northerly wind gusts reached 41 mph in the Round Mountain Pit area and in Redding, and 49 mph at Jarbo Gap. 
 
After the weather cleared, PG&E crews patrolled more than 589 miles of power lines to ensure that no damage or hazards existed before lines were re-energized and service was restored safely.  
 
During our patrol and restoration process, (as of this publication) we identified one instance of damage to our system that was de-energized during the PSPS event, potentially mitigating an ignition that could have resulted in a fire of consequence. 

***

UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug. 30, 5 p.m.

PG&E will begin patrolling transmission and distribution lines that were de-energized during Wednesday’s Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) after the company issued a weather “all-clear” today for all affected counties impacted by safety shutoffs.

PG&E expects to restore power to the majority of customers by the end of today. The restoration process includes inspecting equipment for damage, repairing any damage found, restoring power and notifying customers of power restoration.

Restoration may be delayed for some customers if crews must repair significant damage to individual lines from wind-blown branches and other debris.

This PSPS event started early on Wednesday morning, Aug. 30, and impacted about 3,900 customers across seven counties that experienced strong, sustained offshore winds. Initially, PG&E had announced that power might need to be shut off to around 8,500 customers in small portions of eight counties. However, this number was reduced when the anticipated weather conditions did not materialize in certain areas. Customers received notifications if the PSPS event in their area was canceled. 

Watch: PG&E Crews head to Yolo and Colusa counties to perform patrols, repair damage and restore power to customers impacted by today’s PSPS event.

***

UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug. 30, 9:30 a.m.

Joe Wilson, vice president of North Valley & Sierra Region at PG&E, provides insights and updates on Public Safety Power Shutoffs and the necessary steps to be taken after de-energization. Stay informed and stay safe. 

***

UPDATE: Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2:00 a.m.

PSPS UPDATE: PG&E Has Begun Shutting Off Power For Safety During Dry, Northerly Wind Event, Affecting About 8,400 Customers in Small Portions of Eight Counties

Shortly before 2 a.m. on Wednesday, August 30, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) began proactively shutting off power in targeted high-fire-threat areas to ensure safety and reduce wildfire risk. Approximately 8,400 customers in two tribal areas and small portions of eight counties are impacted. Customers were notified directly during the day Tuesday and again in the hours prior to de-energization.

According to PG&E meteorologists, the primary period of concern is early Wednesday morning, where wind gusts up to 45 mph are expected to spread southward down the western Sacramento Valley and adjacent terrain. Relative humidity values may fall to 10%-20% in the Sacramento Valley. This has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a Red Flag Warning for the greater Sacramento Valley with the highest threat mainly along and west of Interstate 5.

PG&E anticipates weather “all clears” will occur Wednesday, August 30 in the afternoon with varying times depending on individual locations.

PG&E anticipates notifying customers on Wednesday afternoon when the weather system has passed and will provide continuous updates on when to expect the power to turn back on.

Once conditions are clear, PG&E electric crews will begin patrolling and check de-energized lines for hazards or damage to make sure it is safe to restore power.

Affected Tribes and Counties

Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Napa, Shasta, Tehama, Yolo and Butte Counties. Pit River Tribes and Grindstone Rancheria.

Customers can look up affected addresses at www.pge.com/pspsupdates.

Customer Support Resources

To reduce the impacts of planned wildfire safety power outages, PG&E is offering numerous resources to help you prepare and stay safe.

Community Resource Centers
Eight Community Resource Centers will be available within five counties, with ADA-accessible restrooms, device charging, Wi-Fi, blankets, air conditioning, bottled water, snacks, supplies. Locations can be found at pge.com/pspsupdates.

California Network of 211

Customers can call 211 to get help before, during, and after a power outage, including for customers who rely on power for medical needs, have a disability, are in the aging population, or have other needs. Call 211, text ‘PSPS’ to 211-211 or visit 211.org to find your local 211.

Backup Power Options 
PG&E provides support for homes and businesses interested in energy solutions. Qualifying customers may receive no-cost backup portable batteries, generator or portable battery rebates, a free backup power transfer meter and refrigeration for medication. Visit www.pge.com/backuppower to explore backup power options.

Medical Baseline Program 
If you rely on power for medical needs, you may be eligible to receive help through the Medical Baseline Program. The program includes notifications by call, text and email before a PSPS.

The Disability Disaster Access and Resources (DDAR) Program
The DDAR program offers support for older adults and people with disabilities. This help is available before, during and after a PSPS. Your local DDAR Center can help with finding accessible hotel stays during a PSPS.

Food Replacement 
Food loss may be a challenge for customers during PSPS. PG&E provides meal replacement options during and after planned safety outages to cover every county likely to be impacted. We partner with local food banks, Meals on Wheels, and offer first-come-first-serve food replacement packages. Find a food bank near you.

***

 

UPDATE: Tuesday, Aug. 29, 11 p.m. 

 

 

***

 

UPDATE: Tuesday, Aug. 29, 4 p.m.

 

Dry offshore winds are still expected to develop during the early morning Wednesday, delivering 10-20 mph peak sustained winds with 25-35 mph gusts. A few elevated terrain locations along the western Sacramento Valley may see gusts briefly up to 40 mph

 

Tuesday morning, PG&E sent day-ahead advance notifications to customers in targeted areas where PG&E may need to proactively turn power off for safety to reduce the risk of wildfire from energized powerlines.

The total number of customers potentially impacted by a PSPS event has not changed significantly from earlier estimates; however, 430 customers in Butte County are now in scope. Customers can get information about forecasted PSPS outages at their address by visiting pge.com.

Watch this weather update from PG&E Chief Meteorologist Scott Strenfel:

California Network of 211
Customers can call 211 to get help preparing for a potential power outage, or any other kind of emergency, to minimize hardships that may be caused by safety outages. Support is available before, during and after a power outage. PG&E’s 211 partnership also provides proactive, emergency preparedness outreach for those who rely on power for medical needs, have a disability, are in the aging population or have other needs.  Call 211, text ‘PSPS’ to 211 or visit 211.org to find your local 211.

***

UPDATE: Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2 p.m.

PG&E’s overarching goal is to stop catastrophic wildfires to keep our customers and communities safe. As a last resort, PG&E proactively turns off power when extremely dry and windy weather threatens our grid — called a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS).

Before we determine that a PSPS is necessary, PG&E reviews various factors. These include humidity levels, forecasted winds, dry vegetation, Red Flag Warnings and other real-time observations. High winds can bring tree branches and debris into contact with energized lines, damage equipment and ignite wildfires.

We recognize that PSPS outages create hardships for our customers and communities, and we work to support those who are impacted.

What determines when PG&E decides to execute a PSPS?

PG&E reviews a combination of factors to decide if a PSPS is necessary, including:

  • A forecast of high winds above 19 miles per hour and gusts above 30-40 miles per hour
  • Condition and moisture content of dry material and vegetation on the ground
  • Red Flag Warning declared by the National Weather Service
  • Real-time ground observations
  • Trees tall enough to hit powerlines

How long has the PSPS program been in place?

PSPS has been standard practice in California for many years, though in the past, the preemptive shutoffs occurred mainly in rural areas.  California’s population is growing, the risk and size of fires has escalated. More than a third of California’s housing is now located in high-fire threat areas that have become more dangerous.

Address Lookup Tool

To learn more about PSPS events in your community, customers can use our Address Lookup Tool to search for their home or business. We know losing power can be disruptive. This tool helps customers plan and stay informed.

Customers who need extra help during a power shutoff should visit www.pge.com/pspssupport. to learn about resources for customers who depend on power for medical and independent living needs.

***

UPDATE: Monday, Aug. 28 

PG&E meteorologists and operations professionals are monitoring a potential dry, northerly wind event forecasted to start early Wednesday morning. The Sacramento Office of the National Weather Service has issued a fire weather watch from Tuesday evening through Wednesday evening. Given the wind event and current conditions including dry vegetation, PG&E has begun sending advanced notifications to customers — via text, email and automated phone call — in targeted areas where PG&E may need to proactively turn power off for safety to reduce the risk of wildfire from energized powerlines.

The potential Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event starting around 3 a.m. on Wednesday could affect approximately 8,000 customers in small portions of seven counties, mostly on the west side of the Sacramento Valley.

Conditions may change following the distribution of this media alert. PG&E’s in-house meteorologists, as well as its Emergency Operations Center and its Hazard Awareness & Warning Center (HAWC), continue to closely monitor conditions. We will share additional customer notifications as conditions evolve.

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

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 shutoff is currently expected to affect approximately 8,000 customers across the following counties:

  • Colusa County: 531 customers, 38 Medical Baseline customers
  • Glenn County: 365 customers, 19 Medical Baseline customers
  • Lake County: 50 customers, 3 Medical Baseline customers
  • Napa County: 8 customers, 0 Medical Baseline customers
  • Shasta County: 3,812 customers, 356 Medical Baseline customers
  • Tehama County: 3,249 customers, 352 Medical Baseline customers
  • Yolo County: 30 customers, 1 Medical Baseline customers

Here’s what PG&E customers should know:

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 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.
  • A Red Flag Warning declared by the National Weather Service.
  • Real-time ground observations from our crews working across the service area.

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.

Here’s where to learn more

  • PG&E’s emergency website (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.
  • At PG&E’s Safety Action Center(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.

PG&E's commitment to wildfire safety

Using advanced technologies and rebuilding the electric system from the underground up, we are preventing wildfires, improving reliability and reducing costs over the long term. We are building the energy grid of the future that our customers deserve while also taking immediate steps to keep customers safe.

Our wildfire prevention work relies on layers of protection to make our system safer and more resilient while positioning us to better serve our customers in the short and long term. These tools help us respond to our state’s evolving climate challenges:

  • Our 10,000-mile Undergrounding Program is the largest effort in the U.S. to underground powerlines as a wildfire risk reduction measure.
  • In addition to undergrounding, we are strengthening the electric system with stronger poles and covered powerlines in and near high fire-risk areas.
  • Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS) decrease ignitions and provide wildfire protection to all customers living in high fire-risk areas.
  • We continue to reduce the impact of PSPS. While there were no weather-driven PSPS outages in 2022, it continues to be a top focus for our team.
  • We are managing trees and other vegetation located near powerlines that could cause a power outage and/or ignition.
  • We are also investing in advanced tools and technologies like artificial intelligence and drones that help us automate fire detection and response.