PG&E Restores Power to Most Customers in Northern California

Updated Thursday, Sept. 26, 7:20 a.m.

PG&E has restored power to most of the approximately 48,200 customers affected by its public safety power shut-off.

The utility says power was fully restored to "essentially all customers" in Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sonoma and Yuba counties.

The company restored power to 89% of those affected in Butte County and said it will restore power to the remaining 3,441 customers there Thursday.

PG&E turned off power to the customers early morning Wednesday in parts of Butte, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sonoma and Yuba counties due to dangerous weather conditions.

Updated Wednesday, Sept. 25, 9:30 a.m.

PG&E turned off power to about 48,200 customers between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. in parts of Butte, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sonoma and Yuba counties due to dangerous weather conditions.

PG&E said in a tweet it expected windy weather conditions to last through noon Wednesday.

The utility said that when the weather subsides and it is safe to do so, work crews will begin conducting safety inspections and repairing any damaged equipment. Then the company will restore power to customers. PG&E said it will need to inspect approximately 2,785 miles of transmission and distribution lines in the areas affected by this public safety power shut-off.

Original Post Sept. 24, 2019:

PG&E says it is monitoring the hot, dry, windy weather that has set in over much of Northern California to assess whether it needs to expand power shut-offs initiated because of high fire danger — including the possibility of preemptive blackouts that could affect the North Bay later Tuesday.

The utility said a potential shutdown could affect areas of Napa and Sonoma counties, as well as areas of Lake, Butte, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sutter and Yuba counties. PG&E said it will make a decision on cutting power around noon Tuesday.

Late Monday, PG&E cut power to approximately 24,000 customers in Butte, Nevada and Yuba counties due to red flag fire weather conditions.

Utility crews are currently conducting safety patrols and inspections of an estimated 1,357 miles of transmission and distribution lines in the blacked-out areas, the company said.

The utility said it would briefly restore power on Tuesday so customers can recharge electronic devices before their power is shut off again Tuesday night, when winds are expected to pick up.

The National Weather Service's San Francisco Bay Area office forecasts winds gusting as high as 40 mph to 50 mph in the North Bay and East Bay hills — with the highest fire threat predicted for the northernmost reaches of Napa and Sonoma counties.

Eric Kurth, a National Weather Service forecaster in Sacramento, said gusty winds are expected across the region -- as high as 50 mph in the northern Sierra and foothills and 30 to 40 mph across the Sacramento Valley.

"Humidity levels are dropping, and winds are picking up," Kurth said. "The main threat is overnight, when the winds pick up in the mountains and foothills."

Cal Fire announced in May that its investigation into last November's Camp Fire confirmed that a PG&E transmission line sparked the blaze. The Camp Fire — the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history — killed 86 people and destroyed nearly 14,000 homes in the communities of Paradise, Concow and Magalia.

Earlier this month, PG&E agreed to pay $11 billion to insurance companies holding 85% of the insurance claims from fires that include the November 2018 blaze.

The California Public Utilities Commission adopted an expanded set of rules on May 30 aimed at clarifying when the state's big utilities can shut off power during times of high fire danger and what utilities need to do before they turn out your lights.

The power shut-offs — a practice the regulatory world calls de-energization — have been used sparingly in the past as a tool to reduce the risk of electrical equipment touching off fires during exceedingly windy, dry, hot weather.

The shutdowns are a technique pioneered by San Diego Gas and Electric Co. after its power lines ignited 2007's Witch Fire, which killed two people and destroyed 1,100 homes.

Here are questions and answers on how the public safety power shut-offs work and what the CPUC's new guidelines will mean for utility customers.

PG&E has opened community resource centers in potentially impacted counties, providing restrooms, bottled water, electronic device charging and air-conditioned seating for up to 100 customers each. Visit here for updates.

The centers are located at:

Auburn Gold Country Fairgrounds
303 Sacramento St.
Auburn, CA 95603

Sierra College Grass Valley Campus
250 Sierra College Drive
Grass Valley, CA 95945

14144 Lakeridge Court
Magalia, CA 95954

Alcouffe Center
9185 Marysville Road
Oregon House, CA 95935

Harrison Stadium parking lot
Third and Mitchell avenues
Oroville, CA 95965

This post includes reporting from The Associated Press.