Nipomo Braves Public Safety Power Shutoffs Keeping Campuses Open
NIPOMO, Calif. (KEYT) - PG&E expanded its Public Safety Power Shutoff into south San Luis Obispo County today, cutting electricity to more than 8,600 customers.
High winds and critical wildfire conditions prompted the utility to escalate preventive power drops across the region.
The safety shutoffs moved directly into rural and residential areas of Nipomo, impacting local schools, businesses and public facilities.
PG&E explained that while local winds may appear calm, main transmission lines feeding coastal and valley communities run through high fire-threat zones in surrounding rugged terrain.
Lucia Mar Unified School District kept campuses open Friday morning despite losing power, aiming to avoid classroom disruptions.
Affected campuses include Nipomo High School, Central Coast New Tech High School and Nipomo Elementary School.
District officials informed parents that staff members were fully prepared to manage an unpowered school day safely.
To address the loss of climate control systems, the district's facilities team took precautionary measures to "pre-cool" classrooms prior to the shutoff.
Local businesses across Nipomo faced varied logistical challenges, with many forced to rely on backup generators or temporarily close their doors.
Frustration surfaced among some residents because immediate local winds appeared calm, though utility officials reiterated that transmission lines supplying the area pass through high fire-threat zones in more rugged terrain.
To assist residents navigating the outage, the San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services opened a community charging station at the Nipomo Library from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. today, allowing community members to power up essential electronic devices.
The high-risk weather system driving the preventative shutoffs is expected to persist through Saturday.
PG&E hopes to begin line inspections and power restoration by Saturday evening, though full service will not return until lines are physically cleared of potential debris.
The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On OurMobile Apps. Keep Up With The Latest Articles by Signing Up for theNews Channel 3-12 Newsletter.
