UPDATE: Power has been restored to approximately 114,000 of the 130,000 San Francisco homes and businesses affected by a massive outage that began Saturday afternoon. However, as of this afternoon, more than 16,000 customers remain without electricity, with officials aiming for full restoration by 2 p.m. on December 11, 2023.
The outage, caused by a fire at a utility substation located at 8th and Mission streets, struck during one of the busiest weekends before Christmas. The blackout has had severe repercussions, forcing shops and restaurants to close, and leading to widespread gridlock as Waymo suspended its autonomous taxi service due to stalling vehicles at intersections.
The impact of the blackout has been significant. Public transit services, including the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system and San Francisco’s Muni network, were disrupted, leaving many residents stranded. With traffic signals down, the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management advised residents to treat intersections as four-way stops and avoid nonessential travel.
PG&E crews have mobilized additional engineers and electricians to expedite restoration efforts. Areas still affected include the Presidio, Richmond District, and parts of downtown San Francisco. Key neighborhoods initially impacted were the Richmond and Sunset districts, Haight-Ashbury, Hayes Valley, and others.
Authorities reported that PG&E stabilized the grid by 4 p.m. on Saturday, preventing further outages. Most customers were restored within six to eight hours of the initial blackout, and fortunately, no injuries have been reported.
To assist affected residents, PG&E has opened a Community Resource Center at 251 18th Ave. in the Richmond District, providing power stations for charging devices, free Wi-Fi, bottled water, snacks, and customer support. The center operates from 5-10 p.m. on Sunday and 8 a.m.-10 p.m. on Monday. PG&E is also collaborating with the 211 Providers Network to conduct wellness checks and provide assistance to vulnerable customers.
Mayor Daniel Lurie stated on X:
“PG&E has informed us that they expect full power to be restored by 2 p.m. tomorrow. If your power is still out and you need help, come to the Richmond Rec Center at 251 18th Ave. to charge your devices or get other resources.”
In addition, PG&E confirmed on social media:
“#SanFrancisco Outage Update. We currently expect to restore all remaining customers impacted by the substation outage by no later than 2 p.m. on Monday. PG&E crews will continue to work until all customers have been restored.”
Waymo, the autonomous taxi service, has temporarily suspended operations due to the outage. Suzanne Philion, a spokesperson for Waymo, remarked,
“We are focused on keeping our riders safe and ensuring emergency personnel have the clear access they need to do their work.”
As the situation develops, PG&E is also preparing for incoming storms that could further impact restoration efforts. Residents are urged to stay tuned for updates and utilize available resources to cope with the ongoing outage.
