PG&E Expands Planned Power Shutoffs to 70,000 Customers in 29 Counties

Key points

• PG&E plans to activate PSPS protocols from Wednesday through Saturday to mitigate fire risks from dry and gusty conditions.
• The affected customer count rose from an initial estimate of 30,000 to 70,000 due to worsening vegetation dryness and wind forecasts.
• The expanded shutoffs will impact 3,920 medical baseline customers and five tribal governments.
• Approximately 5,700 customers previously included in the plan have been 'de-scoped' as conditions evolved.
• The update was issued around 1:05 p.m. on Tuesday, with the potential outages occurring roughly 12 hours later.

Background

This event follows a recent PSPS event last weekend that affected around 3,000 to 4,000 customers, some of whom may face outages again this week. The current action is part of PG&E's ongoing strategy to prevent wildfires during high-risk weather conditions in California. While recent regional news has focused on seasonal health mandates and storm damage in other states, this power shutoff is a direct response to local meteorological hazards in California.

Why it matters

The expansion of power shutoffs highlights the ongoing tension between grid reliability and wildfire prevention in California. The significant increase in affected customers, including medical and tribal facilities, underscores the critical impact of weather-driven infrastructure decisions on vulnerable populations and essential services.

What to watch

PG&E will monitor conditions closely, as the planned outages are approximately 12 hours away from the time of the update. The utility noted that conditions may change, potentially altering the scope or timing of the shutoffs. Customers are advised to check PG&E's real-time outage map for specific updates.