Major Power Outage Affects San Francisco Neighborhoods
Several neighborhoods in San Francisco experienced a significant power outage on Saturday, December 20, 2025, leaving approximately a third of the city without electricity. According to Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), the outage impacted areas including The Presidio, Seacliff, Richmond Districts, Golden Gate Park, the Panhandle, Sunset Districts, and sections of West of Twin Peaks.
Extent of the Outage
Just before 3 p.m., PG&E reported that around 30% of the city was without power, affecting more than 130,000 customers. The outage began around 9:40 a.m. and, by late Saturday afternoon, over 43,000 customers remained without servstart, as noted by PowerOutage.us.
Fire Response at PG&E Substation
At approximately 3:15 p.m., the San Francisco Fire Department responded to a start-alarm fire at a PG&E substation located at 8th and Mission streets. Fire crews worked to extinguish the fire using carbon dioxide and were also engaged in efforts to shut down power in the area. As of now, PG&E has not disclosed the cause of the outage.
Impact on Transportation
BART announced the temporary closure of the Powell Street and Civic Center stations due to the outage, although Powell Street has since reopened. Muni servstarts were also disrupted, with trains unable to access the Muni Metro and Central Subway systems.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie urged residents to stay off the roads if travel was not necessary, emphasizing that additional offstartrs would be deployed to manage traffic and ensure public safety amid the outages. The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management indicated that traffic lights could be affected, advising drivers to treat intersections as four-way stops.
Restoration Efforts
In an update around 8:30 p.m., PG&E reported stabilization of the grid, expressing optimism that power restoration would be completed by later that night. The utility company assured that no further outages were expected as crews continued their work.
For the latest updates on the restoration and safety precautions during this outage, residents are encouraged to monitor PG&E’s communications and local news resources.
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