On Thursday morning, Oct.10, PG&E reported power restoration to about 126,000 customers who were affected by the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS)
There are still currently approximately 600,000 customers without power as a result of the PSPS event, which began on early Wednesday.
The following information is from PG&E:
Updates
- There were no reported fires related to PG&E equipment in the PSPS impact zone.
- As of 6 a.m. Thursday, peak wind gusts — a major factor in the decision to implement a PSPS — have been recorded at 77 mph at Mt. St. Helena West in Sonoma County and 75 mph at Mount Diablo in Contra Costa County since midnight. Both of these areas were de-energized in the PSPS action.
- The company has received many preliminary reports of vegetation-related damage to its equipment in these areas.
- A third phase for portions of Kern County is scheduled for late morning Thursday. Due to changing weather forecasts, PG&E now expects this event to impact approximately 4,000 customers. Earlier forecasts predicted impacts to 40,000 customers in this area.
- Safety inspections, repairs and power restoration will begin in specific areas once a weather “all clear” is given.
- Customers not impacted by the PSPS may experience power outages due to PG&E equipment damaged during this major event.
- Resources standing by to support the restoration include more than 6,300 on-the-ground field personnel and 45 helicopters. Crews will conduct visual inspections and will make repairs as necessary if any damage is found.
- The number of circuit-miles requiring inspection includes nearly 25,000 miles of distribution lines and 2,500 miles of transmission lines, a combined distance measuring longer than a trip around the circumference of the Earth.
“We faced a choice between hardship or safety, and we chose safety. We deeply apologize for the inconvenience and the hardship, but we stand by the decision because the safety of our customers and communities must come first,” said Michael Lewis, Senior Vice President, Electric Operations.
Weather Updates
Dangerous weather conditions are expected to continue in parts of the Sierra Foothills and Bay Area until midday Thursday. Similar conditions in Kern County are beginning late morning Thursday and lasting through midday Friday.
For restoration to begin, the company must inspect its affected equipment to ensure no damage has occurred to its equipment.
It was all a Hoax. There was no extreme wind.
Just another money grab by PG&E to make us pay for the fire lawsuits.
Please explain to the public how no power sales (due to power being cut off) results in a “money grab”.
Then please explain how this nonexistent “money grab” will pay for the lawsuits.
We’re waiting.
Good call, I think
This seems to be a public relations exercise more than a caring about people potentially impacted by PiGnE failures to keep people safe!
If it was a hoax it would be more along the lines of a virtual monopoly demonstrating it’s ability to disrupt peoples’ lives and a warning not to “f” with them.
Mount Diablo had wind gusts up to 72 MPH. However, the power was still on.
“number of circuit-miles requiring inspection includes nearly 25,000 miles of distribution lines and 2,500 miles of transmission lines”
Can manage that in days ? ? ?
Makes one wonder as to number of miles inspected each month over last ten or twelve years ?
Wonder if ANYONE / government agency is going to make an in depth inquiry as to any changes made in frequency or methods of transmission line maintenance in past two decades ? ? ?
Well that was a bunch of crap. It is 3,800′ + at Mt.Diablo so the wind blows a bit …duh. So the question is what Chicken Little ( AKA PG&E ) will do for it’s next extortion act ?
Power back in south PH, Isabella lane just off Geary. 5:18 pm.
So, did PGE forget to shut off the power, then??? 🙄🔥🔥🔥
If they’d stop TV PR ads telling us how good they are and put that money into replacing old equipment, we’d be better off. Even with discounts, our bills are outrageous. PGE are nothing but a bunch of stupid crooks!
We never lost power but have suspiciously lost all TV and internet with Wave as of today. Has anyone else been having trouble with Wave service in Concord?
My Wave service never went out in Walnut Creek.
@get off my lawn – Don’t have wave, but did notice this morning Wave had a generator powering a cell phone (?) or other station on a utility pole at Belle Ave near Putman in PH. It was clearly marked as a WAVE station. Our AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon service as been uninterrupted.
At my mom-in-laws in pleasant hill & her power came back at 5:20 PM, this evening, was off since 10:30-11pm last night, 7+ hrs
Was prepared for 5 day without power. Fridge, freezer, chest freezer all good. Will distribute the $40 of ice we bought over lawn tomorrow.
Will look into whole house generator after get caught up with business/clients after October 15 tax day. Runs off natural gas. Just need to get it scheduled, Hein Electric is our go to. A worthy investment as we will live here for the rest of our lives.
Geez some of you people are simultaneously hilarious and pathetic…if power stays on and there would’ve been a bad fire, you morons would be the first ones screeching “THEY KNEW IT WAS WINDY, WHY DIDN’T THEY SHUT OFF THE POWER???….I HOPE THEY GET SUED!!!”
Just for kicks, go look up how many times environmental activist groups have sued PG&E and others to STOP fire mitigation tree/brush clearing. Idiots won’t be happy until PG&E really does go out of business and then the state takes over, then you will really see how bad it can get.
Nailed it!
It really has nothing to do with the potential fires or lawsuits. It has to do with the fact that we have been paying to have their infrastructure upgraded and they have not done anything to do this. Now, they are faced with lawsuits because of the death and damage that the lack of due diligence on their part has caused. If they had even started to upgrade their infrastructure, then this would not have had to happen.
Keep the Ice Mary, PG&E is not done yet.
@Mongoose – I had some second thoughts about the ice. I will keep it. Gotta check on it tomorrow, it is in coolers in garage covered in blankets. And think I will keep extra ice in my chest freezer, when I have room. Generally keep it nearly full, and at -10*F. I checked it today after power came on this evening. Temp was still at slightly below 0*. I froze extra blocks of ice in that, and put in my fridge and fridge freezer. Fridge never got over 42*.
My husband JIm and I are going to look into a whole house generator. Runs off natural gas. Quiet. Probably $10,000 for our home, but good investment as we are going to live here until we die, particularly since we both have home office businesses. And will serve the whole house in the event of a power outage. A to do later this year.
Good morning Mary…a small block of dry ice will keep your ice solid for a good amount of time. We used to place dry ice in the bottom of a cooler and would fill egg cartons with water to make our own ice cubes when camping.
Pretty sure my $7.00 bag of ice is ready to water the plants with. If I did have to put food in the chest there’d be enough frozen things to keep it all cold more than a week.
Simonpure, That sounds like a really good idea. Where’s a good place to get a small block of dry ice?
Hello Silva…Safeway, Walmart and Costco. There are some smaller outfits as well. During this time of year many places sell it to make fog for displays.
Silva – GLACIER ICE CO on Cloverdale Ave, Concord. Cloverdale is off Detroit across from Costco. While in the working world I would go to them for dry ice to be used during assembly of machinery.
Thanks folks!
Agenda 21
“Eat the rich,” scrawled on a wall in Berkeley.
@Original G – The inspections to restore power are to see if any vegetation was blown into the lines. It has nothing to do with the standard maintenance inspections.
Transmission and distribution lines are inspected every year. However, the towers and nuts, bolts, and bars, holding together can’t be fully inspected on site. Instead, they use a statistical method where randomly selected parts are pulled out and then torn apart in labs to estimate the remaining lifetime for the parts in the field. This method can’t detect 100% of the potential failures. 2018’s Camp Fire which burned into Paradise was caused by a mechanical failure.