San Francisco power outage may continue overnight, says PG&E; 40,000 customers remain impacted

A massive power outage hit San Francisco on Saturday, leaving around 130,000 customers without electricity. Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) said in a statement, “We are working with first responders and city officials on an outage in San Francisco affecting approximately 130,000 customers.”

Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco Daniel Lurie said, "As we head into the night, PG&E has restored power to 90,000 customers, but there are still about 40,000 customers without power."

Meanwhile, San Francisco Department of Emergency Management said power is being restored in many parts of San Francisco, “but PG&E says about 40,000 customers may remain without electricity overnight.”

Pacific Gas and Electric’s outage map revealed that as of December 20, 3:50 PM PST, 70 per cent of San Francisco County were reported to have power supply, while 104 outages were reported, affecting 124,465 customers.

"Power is off for 124,466 customers," It said

The first outage, reported around 9:40 am, took out power to just over 14,600 residential and commercial customers in the Inner Sunset down to Forest Hill, SF Chronicle reported while citing PG&E.

According to the report, a second outage started around 10:10 am, taking out electricity across the Presidio, the Richmond and some sections of Market Street. PG&E reported more than 24,800 customers were affected.

What led to this massive San Francisco power outage?

The cause of the outage is still being investigated, and there is no estimated time of restoration, said G&E.

What is being affected?

The San Francisco power outage is affecting the Richmond, Sunset, Presidio, Golden Gate Park and parts of downtown, the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management wrote in a social media post.

Muni trains are bypassing the Powell, Civic Center, Van Ness and Montgomery stations due to the power outage, according to the SFMTA.

The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management also warned the outages could be impacting street lights and reminded drivers to treat all dark traffic signals as four-way stops.

BART confirmed that the Powell Street and Civic Centre stations on the San Francisco line were closed due to the power outage. BART estimates a 10-minute delay in all directions.

When will the power be restored?

As of 2 pm, the utility estimated power would be restored between 3:30 pm and 3:45 pm, SF Chronicals reported.

What to avoid during power outage?

The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management said in a post on X that since a large power outage is impacting San Francisco, one can only call 9-1-1 for life safety emergencies.

The department also advised customers to avoid non-essential travel, treat down traffic signals as four-way stops, keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed, and turn off major appliances to prevent surges.

“Never use gas stoves, grills, or generators indoors due to carbon monoxide risks. More safety tips at http://sf.gov/power-outages and updates from PG&E at pgealerts.alerts.pge.com,” it said.

Power outage safety tips

The San Francisco authorities shared some safety tips for power outages. They included:

1. Call, text or visit neighbors. Older adults, especially those who live alone, and those with disabilities or medical conditions are most at risk during emergencies and disasters.
2. Know where to check outage updates. Visit PG&E’s Outage Center or call 1-800-743-5002 for real-time outage maps, updates, and estimated restoration times. You can also sign up to receive outage alerts directly from PG&E.
3. Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. An unopened refrigerator can keep food cold for about 4 hours; a full freezer for up to 48 hours.
4. Turn off major appliances. Prevent power surges by switching off air conditioners, heaters, and electronics.
5. Be careful with alternative heating and cooking sources. Never use gas stoves, grills, or generators indoors due to carbon monoxide risks.
6. Notify your alarm company if you have an alarm system as equipment can be affected by power outages.
7. If you are experiencing a medical, police, or fire emergency call 911.

Click here to check what to do before and after power outage