Dozens of PG&E customers in northern SLO County lose power as part of Public Safety Power Shutoffs

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. - Hundreds of Pacific Gas and Electric customers in northern San Luis Obispo County lost power Monday afternoon as part of a Public Safety Power Shutoff issued by the utility.

The power shutoff left about 100 PG&E customers without power around 1 p.m., according to the PSPS outage map.

Over the weekend, PG&E announced it may implement Public Safety Power Shutoffs in portions of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties on Monday due to windy, dry conditions.

PG&E meteorologists were monitoring a potential weather system that was expected to bring dry, gusty offshore winds to portions of the company's services area beginning Monday morning.

An offshore wind event combined with the exceptional drought and dry vegetation across Central California has led PG&E to consider temporarily shutting off power to some customers to reduce the risk of wildfire from energized power lines.

About 25,000 customers in 22 counties and five tribes are being affected by this PSPS warning. This includes at least 223 customers in San Luis Obispo County and 27 customers in Santa Barbara County.

This scope was reduced from the 44,000 customers in 32 counties initially announced on Saturday.

PG&E is considering a PSPS in in the area between Tepusquet Road and Buckhorn Ridge Road near Highway 166 beginning as soon as Monday evening (10/11). Call PG&E directly at 1-877-660-6789 or visit https://t.co/4EtslDKgki for more information.

— SBCountyOEM (@SBCountyOEM) October 10, 2021

PG&E said the potential shutoff could begin Monday morning in portions of the North Valley, Sacramento, and San Joaquin Foothills. Potential shutoffs for the Northern Sierra Foothills, North Bay, North Coast regions, Bay Area hills and the Central Valley could begin Monday evening, depending on the timing of the wind event.

Customers who will be impacted by the potential shutoff will be notified by text, email and automated phone call starting Saturday, about two days before the shutoff may occur.

To see if your address will be affected by a possible shutoff, visit pge.com/pspsupdates.

Below is a list of all counties and tribes that may be affected by Monday morning's outages as well as how many customers in each area will be impacted:

• Alameda: 134 customers, 10 Medical Baseline customers
• Butte: 1,342 customers, 98 Medical Baseline customers
• Colusa: 566 customers, 39 Medical Baseline customers
• Contra Costa: 597 customers, 40 Medical Baseline customers
• Fresno: 189 customers, 6 Medical Baseline customers
• Glenn: 376 customers, 22 Medical Baseline customers
• Kern: 633 customers, 34 Medical Baseline customers
• Kings: 10 customers, 0 Medical Baseline customers
• Lake: 4,008 customers, 304 Medical Baseline customers
• Merced: 14 customers, 0 Medical Baseline customers
• Monterey: 854 customers, 27 Medical Baseline customers
• Napa: 2,428 customers, 113 Medical Baseline customers
• Plumas: 309 customers, 4 Medical Baseline customers
• San Benito: 84 customers, 2 Medical Baseline customers
• San Luis Obispo: 223 customers, 4 Medical Baseline customers
• Santa Barbara: 27 customers, 2 Medical Baseline customer
• Shasta: 2,336 customers, 172 Medical Baseline customers
• Solano:  4,561 customers, 423 Medical Baseline customers
• Sonoma: 87 customers, 1 Medical Baseline customer
• Stanislaus: 30customers, 0 Medical Baseline customers
• Tehama: 5,342 customers, 498 Medical Baseline customers
• Yolo: 515 customers, 16 Medical Baseline customers

• Cortina Rancheria: 8 customers, 1 Medical Baseline customer
• Grindstone Rancheria: 50 customers, 4 Medical Baseline customers
• Middletown Rancheria: 34 customers, 1 Medical Baseline customer
• Mooretown Rancheria: 1 customer, 0 Medical Baseline customer
• Pit River Tribes: 8 customers, 0 Medical Baseline customers

During a PSPS, PG&E said it offers support to affected residents by opening Community Resource Centers with snacks, water and other essential items thanks to help from community-based organizations.

If customers enrolled in the company’s Medical Baseline program do not verify that they have received these important safety communications, PG&E said its employees will conduct individual, in-person visits when possible with a primary focus on customers who rely on electricity for critical life-sustaining equipment.

Starting this year, PG&E’s decision-making process takes into account the presence of trees tall enough to strike power lines when determining if a PSPS is necessary. Every wildfire season is different, and the ongoing drought and dry conditions will determine the number of times PG&E will need to shut off power without compromising safety.

For more information and view the PSPS outage map, visit pge.com/pspsupdates.