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Aerial, Vehicle and On-The-Ground Inspections, Patrols Will Begin for Affected Areas
Power is expected to be Restored to the Majority of Customers by the End of Today
OAKLAND, Calif. — Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) crews will begin patrolling transmission and distribution lines that were de-energized during Wednesday’s Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) after the company issued a weather “all-clear” today for all counties impacted by safety shutoffs. PG&E crews will patrol more than 589 miles of transmission and distribution lines to ensure that no damage or hazards exist before those lines are re-energized and those customers restored. PG&E has 78 ground patrol personnel, 20 helicopters, and 2 drones ready to deploy for these inspections. This PSPS event started early on Wednesday morning, August 30, and impacted approximately 3,900 customers across seven counties that experienced strong, sustained offshore winds. Initially, PG&E had announced that power might need to be shut off to around 8,500 customers in small portions of eight counties. However, this number was reduced when the anticipated weather conditions did not materialize in certain areas. Customers received notifications if the PSPS event in their area was canceled. Strong Winds Recorded Across Parts of Service Area Meteorologists reported that the peak northerly wind gusts reached 41 mph in the Round Mountain Pit area in Redding, and 49 mph at Jarbo Gap. The event overall was slightly weaker than forecasted. In addition to wind gusts, relative humidity dropped to single digits on the west side of the Sacramento Valley. Temperatures spiked over one hundred degrees, and a National Weather Service Red Flag Warning remains in effect through 8 PM Wednesday. Visibility is also being affected by smoke, with readings of nine miles in Redding, 10 in Red Bluff, and three to five miles in Sacramento. PSPS Restoration Process PG&E will begin restoring power to customers in areas where it is safe to do so and expects to have power restored to the majority of customers affected by this PSPS event by the end of the day. Restoration may be delayed for some customers if crews must repair significant damage to individual lines from wind-blown branches and other debris. Restoration steps include:
- Inspect – Our crews will work to visually inspect for potential weather-related damage to the lines, poles, and towers. This is done by foot, vehicle, and air.
- Repair – Where equipment damage is found, PG&E crews work to isolate the damaged area from the rest of the system so other parts of the system can be restored.
- Restore – Once the poles, towers, and lines are safe to energize, PG&E’s Control Center can complete the process and restore power to affected areas.
- Notify Customers – Customers are notified that power has been restored.
For more information on the PSPS event, visit www.pge.com/pspsupdates. Customer Support PG&E opened eight Community Resource Centers (CRCs) across Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Tehama, and Shasta counties to support customers affected by this event. PG&E Community Resource Centers (CRCs) provide a safe space for visitors to access necessities during PSPS events. These centers offer Wi-Fi, and charging stations for personal and medical devices, and are ADA-accessible with restroom facilities. In addition to these amenities, grab-and-go bags containing an information card, battery charger, bottled water, light snacks, and a blanket are available for visitors, with indoor sites also offering bagged ice. CRCs are staffed by a team of trained coworkers, including PG&E staff and contractors, who can assist visitors in looking up the latest outage information and provide contacts for other resources such as food banks. More information about CRCs can be found at PGE.com/CRC.About PG&EPacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news. You can read about PG&E’s data privacy practices here or at PGE.com/privacy.
