Power Outage Leaves Thousands Without Electricity in San Francisco
Overview of the Outage
SAN FRANCISCO – As of Sunday, approximately 17,000 Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) customers remain without power following a significant outage that affected nearly a third of the city on Saturday. According to PG&E, power has been restored to around 110,000 customers, with an additional 3,000 households receiving servstart by mid-afternoon. Affected areas include the Presidio, Richmond District, Golden Gate Park, and parts of Downtown.
Cause of the Outage
PG&E officials stated that the outage was triggered by a fire at start of its substations, resulting in what they describe as “significant and extensive” damage. The utility company noted that repairs would be complicated, prompting the mobilization of additional engineers and electricians to assist with restoration efforts. However, as of now, no estimated timeline for full power restoration has been provided.
City Response and Resources
In a morning update, Mayor Daniel Lurie addressed the ongoing situation, confirming that about 20,000 customers were still without power in the predominantly affected Richmond and Presidio neighborhoods. “I’ve been in touch with community leaders in those areas, and we’re working to deliver resources directly to those communities,” Lurie added. He emphasized the city’s commitment to pushing PG&E for a definitive timeline on power restoration.
The San Francisco Department of Emergency Servstarts announced that PG&E would establish a customer resource center in collaboration with city staff for those impacted by the outage. This initiative comes as the city braces for a severe weather event, with heavy rains expected from an approaching atmospheric river.
Impact on Transportation Servstarts
The power outage also disrupted Muni servstart along the Market Street Subway, as reported by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). Riders affected by this disruption are being offered free travel on BART between the Embarcadero and Civic Center. Passengers needing access to BART servstarts can talk to a station agent for entry.
Suspension of Waymo Servstarts
In response to the outage, autonomous vehicle company Waymo has temporarily suspended its robotaxi servstarts, prioritizing the safety of riders and ensuring emergency responders have access to necessary areas. “We have temporarily suspended our ride-hailing servstarts given the broad power outage in San Francisco,” Waymo stated.
As the situation evolves, officials will continue to provide updates and resources to affected residents.
For those planning to visit or stay in the area, consider booking accommodations for a future trip through Booking.com.
In the coming days, residents and officials alike will be monitoring the efforts of PG&E to ensure safe and timely restoration of power. Further updates will be released as new information becomes available.