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PG&E Sending Two-Day Notices to Alert Customers in Small, Targeted Portions of 19 Counties Who Might Be Affected by Potential Public Safety Power Shutoff
PG&E Meteorologists Continue to Monitor Dynamic Weather Conditions to Determine Scope of Potential Second Event this Week After Monday’s PSPS
All Customers Affected by Monday PSPS Expected to be Restored by Late Tonight
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) meteorologists continue to monitor a potential weather system that could bring dry offshore winds to parts of Northern and Central California beginning in the early morning hours Thursday—the second such wind event this week.
Given this wind event, combined with extreme to exceptional drought and extremely dry vegetation, PG&E is sending two-day advance notifications to approximately 29,000 customers in small, targeted portions of 19 counties and four tribes where PG&E may need to implement a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) to reduce the risk of wildfire from energized power lines.
Customer notifications—via text, email and automated phone call—began today, two days prior to the potential shutoff. Customers can also look up their address online to find out if their location is being monitored for the potential safety shutoff at www.pge.com/pspsupdates.
Also today, PG&E continued patrolling lines de-energized during Monday’s PSPS event and restoring power. All of the approximately 24,000 customers by this first event are expected to be restored by late tonight.
During a PSPS, PG&E offers support to customers by opening Community Resource Centers with snacks, water, and other essential items; partnering with community-based organizations to assist customers with medical and independent living needs; and continuing to update our customers on power restoration status. Details about customer support programs are available at www.pge.com/pspsupdates.
Potentially Affected Counties
Potentially affected customers by county are as follows:
Approximately 70 total customers are potentially in scope in the tribal areas of Grindstone Rancheria, Mooretown Rancheria, Pitt River Tribes, and Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation.
If customers enrolled in the company’s Medical Baseline program do not verify that they have received these important safety communications, PG&E employees will attempt to make individual, in person visits when possible with a primary focus on customers who rely on electricity for critical life-sustaining equipment.
With the potential PSPS event two days away, conditions may change. PG&E’s in-house meteorologists, as well as its Wildfire Safety Operations Center and Emergency Operations Center, continue to closely monitor conditions. PG&E will share additional customer notifications as conditions evolve.
Public Safety Power Shutoffs: What PG&E Customers Should Know
Why PG&E Calls a PSPS Event
PG&E initiates PSPS when the weather forecast calls for such severe weather that people’s safety, lives, homes, and businesses may be in danger of wildfires.
As each weather situation is unique, PG&E carefully reviews a combination of factors when deciding if power must be turned off. These factors include:
This year, PG&E’s decision-making process is evolving to also account for the presence of trees tall enough to strike power lines when determining if a PSPS event is necessary. Every wildfire season is different, and the ongoing drought and the conditions will determine the number of times PG&E will need to shut off power, without compromising safety.
This set of criteria is a first step that may lead to further analysis from PG&E’s meteorology team to determine if a PSPS event is necessary.
Where to Learn More
- www.pge.com/pspsupdates) is now available in 16 languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Russian, Vietnamese, Korean, Farsi, Arabic, Hmong, Khmer, Punjabi, Japanese, Thai, Portuguese, and Hindi. Customers will have the opportunity to choose their language of preference for viewing the information when visiting the website.
- http://www.pge.com/mywildfirealerts or by calling 1-800-743-5000, where in-language support is available.
- www.pge.com/pspszipcodealerts.
PG&E’s Commitment to Wildfire Safety
PG&E’s multi-faceted Community Wildfire Safety Program includes both immediate and long-term action plans to further reduce wildfire risk and keep its customers and communities safe.
Since 2018, PG&E’s wildfire safety work has resulted in:
Ongoing PG&E Wildfire Mitigation and Resiliency Efforts
PG&E’s ongoing safety work to enhance grid resilience and address the growing threat of severe weather and wildfires continues on a risk-based and data-driven basis, as outlined in its 2021 Wildfire Mitigation Plan.
About PG&E
Pacific 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.
