PSPS Update for Week of October 14, 2024

UPDATE: 10/17, 8:10 a.m.

PG&E Will Begin Issuing 4-Hour Notifications for Potential Power Shutoffs Throughout the Day as Weather Conditions Are Monitored

This morning, PG&E is closely monitoring weather conditions and will issue 4-hour notifications for power shutoffs to impacted customers throughout the day and into the late evening. The high wind event will impact approximately 20,000 customers across 24 counties. Customers in the affected areas will receive notifications as conditions evolve and if weather conditions warrant. The criteria for issuing power shutoffs include:

• Low humidity levels (generally 30% and below).
• Forecasts of high winds (sustained winds above 19 mph and gusts above 30-40 mph).
• The condition of dry material on the ground.
• Low moisture content of vegetation.

Please visit www.pge.com/pspsupdates for the latest information and to check if your address is affected.

UPDATE: 10/17, 3:30 a.m.

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

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. 

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

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.

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UPDATE: 10/16, 10:50 a.m.

With Forecasted Strong, Dry, Northerly Winds, PG&E Expects a Need to Proactively Shut Off Power for Safety to Approximately 32,000 Customers Across Several Counties Starting Thursday 

After continued monitoring, PG&E has adjusted the scope of the Power Safety Public Shutoff forecasted to start in some parts of our service area as early as noon on Thursday. The potential shutoff is currently expected to affect approximately 32,000 customers across the following counties:

• Alameda County: 271 customers, 18 Medical Baseline customer
• Alpine County: 564 customers, 10 Medical Baseline customers
• Amador County: 55 customers, 2 Medical Baseline customers
• Butte County: 1,160 customers, 87 Medical Baseline customers
• Calaveras County: 2,346 customers, 59 Medical Baseline customers
• Colusa County: 605 customers, 30 Medical Baseline customers
• Contra Costa County: 913 customers, 49 Medical Baseline customers
• El Dorado County: 984 customers, 28 Medical Baseline customers
• Fresno County: 1,237 customers, 73 Medical Baseline customers
• Glenn County: 508 customers, 21 Medical Baseline customers
• Lake County: 605 customers, 58 Medical Baseline customers
• Madera County: 2,894 customers, 215 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: 3,034 customers,131Medical Baseline customers
• Nevada County: 808 customers, 16 Medical Baseline customers
• Placer County: 1,175 customers, 26 Medical Baseline customers
• Plumas County: 658 customers, 27 Medical Baseline customers
• San Benito County: 24 customers, 0 Medical Baseline customers
• San Luis Obispo County: 128 customers, 4 Medical Baseline customers
• Santa Barbara County: 261 customers, 6 Medical Baseline customers
• Santa Clara County: 657 customers, 41 Medical Baseline customers
• Santa Cruz County: 132 customers, 8 Medical Baseline customers
• Shasta County: 2,412 customers, 194 Medical Baseline customers
• Sierra County: 972 customers, 41 Medical Baseline customers
• Solano County: 1,833 customers, 159 Medical Baseline customers
• Sonoma County: 988 customers, 22 Medical Baseline customers
• Stanislaus County: 27 customers, 0 Medical Baseline customers
• Tehama County: 2,056 customers, 199 Medical Baseline customers
• Tuolumne County: 3,823 customers, 175 Medical Baseline customers
• Yolo County: 262 customers, 15 Medical Baseline customers

Initial Post -- 10.15

Forecasted Strong, Dry, Northerly Winds Mean PG&E May Need to Proactively Shut Off Power for Safety to Approximately 28,000 Customers across Several Counties starting Thursday 

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) meteorologists and operations professionals are monitoring a potential wind event forecasted to enter parts of our service area around noon on Thursday and exit as late as midday Saturday. Given the forecasted strong winds and current dry vegetation conditions, PG&E has begun sending 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.

The potential Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event could affect approximately 28,000 customers in small portions of several counties, including areas in the North Bay, East Bay, Central Coast, and Sierra Nevadas. PG&E’s in-house meteorologists, Emergency Operations Center, and Hazard Awareness & Warning Center (HAWC) continue to monitor conditions closely and will share additional customer notifications as conditions evolve. 

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 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 28,000 customers across the following counties:  

• Alameda County: 28 customers, 1 Medical Baseline customer
• Alpine County: 564 customers, 10 Medical Baseline customers
• Amador County: 55 customers, 2 Medical Baseline customers
• Butte County: 648 customers, 51 Medical Baseline customers
• Calaveras County: 2,346 customers, 59 Medical Baseline customers
• Colusa County: 605 customers, 30 Medical Baseline customers
• Contra Costa County: 805 customers, 49 Medical Baseline customers
• El Dorado County: 984 customers, 28 Medical Baseline customers
• Fresno County: 1,151 customers, 73 Medical Baseline customers
• Glenn County: 511 customers, 21 Medical Baseline customers
• Lake County: 168 customers, 8 Medical Baseline customers
• Madera County: 2,901 customers, 216 Medical Baseline customers
• Mariposa County: 640 customers, 15 Medical Baseline customers
• Mendocino County: 10 customers, 4 Medical Baseline customers
• Merced County: 27 customers, 0 Medical Baseline customers
• Monterey County: 576 customers, 21 Medical Baseline customers
• Napa County: 649 customers,17 Medical Baseline customers
• Nevada County: 808 customers, 16 Medical Baseline customers
• Placer County: 1,175 customers, 26 Medical Baseline customers
• Plumas County: 658 customers, 27 Medical Baseline customers
• San Luis Obispo County: 128 customers, 4 Medical Baseline customers
• Santa Barbara County: 106 customers, 2 Medical Baseline customers
• Shasta County: 1,417 customers, 87 Medical Baseline customers
• Sierra County: 972 customers, 41 Medical Baseline customers
• Solano County: 2,467 customers, 196 Medical Baseline customers
• Sonoma County: 707 customers, 19 Medical Baseline customers
• Stanislaus County: 27 customers, 0 Medical Baseline customers
• Tehama County: 2,872 customers, 275 Medical Baseline customers
• Tuolumne County: 3,823 customers, 175 Medical Baseline customers
• Yolo County: 262 customers, 15 Medical Baseline customers

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. 

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 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 pge.com/pspsupdates. 
• 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.