Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) continues to monitor a potentially strong and dry offshore wind event forecasted to start early Sunday morning and expected to last through Monday. Given the expected weather conditions, PG&E began its one-day advance notifications to customers in areas where PG&E may need to proactively turn power off for safety to reduce the risk of wildfire from energized power lines.
The anticipated scope and timing of this event has changed from earlier announcements, based on updated weather forecasts that showed stronger wind gusts in a larger portion of PG&E’s service area. PG&E’s in-house meteorologists, as well as its Wildfire Safety Operation Center and Emergency Operations Center, continue to monitor conditions closely and additional notifications will be made today to customers who may be impacted by this event.
Potential Public Safety Power Shutoff on Sunday
The potential PSPS starting early Sunday morning could impact approximately 97,000 customers in portions of fifteen counties in the Northern Sierra and North Valley. Specifically, customers in portions of Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Kern, Lake, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Tehama and Yuba counties are being notified. The total customer impacts are currently projected to be as follows:
County |
Customers impacted |
Medical Baseline |
Alpine |
572 |
6 |
Amador |
5,471 |
401 |
Butte |
18,669 |
1,784 |
Calaveras |
9,978 |
386 |
El Dorado |
35,614 |
2,442 |
Kern |
27 |
0 |
Lake |
55 |
2 |
Napa |
181 |
5 |
Nevada |
7,345 |
438 |
Placer |
9,657 |
609 |
Plumas |
785 |
24 |
Shasta |
2,816 |
241 |
Sierra |
1,098 |
22 |
Tehama |
1,223 |
58 |
Yuba |
3,385 |
282 |
Total |
96,876 |
6,700 |
Ongoing Customer Notifications
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.
Customer notifications—via text, email and automated phone call—began Thursday. Customers enrolled in the company’s Medical Baseline Program who do not verify that they have received these important safety communications will be individually visited in person by a PG&E employee when possible. A primary focus will be given to customers who rely on electricity for critical life-sustaining equipment.
Here’s Where to Go to Learn More
Community Resource Centers Reflect COVID-Safety Protocols
PG&E will open outdoor, open-air Community Resource Centers (CRCs) in every county where a PSPS occurs. These temporary CRCs will be open to customers when power is out at their homes and will provide ADA-accessible restrooms, hand-washing stations; medical-equipment charging; Wi-Fi; bottled water; grab-and-go bags and non-perishable snacks. PG&E updates its CRC locations regularly, click here for updates.
All CRCs will follow important health and safety protocols including:
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 23,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation's cleanest energy to 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.
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