PG&E outage leaves 19,000 customers without power across San Francisco
PG&E working to restore power after massive outage
After a Sunday outage cause around 130,000 customers in San Francisco to lose power, PG&E says it hopes to have things fully restored by Monday afternoon.
SAN FRANCISCO - About 19,000 homes and businesses in San Francisco were still without power Sunday evening, a day after a massive outage darkened much of the city during one of the busiest shopping weekends before Christmas, according to PG&E.
As of Sunday night, the bulk of those outages were concentrated in the Richmond neighborhood, where many braced for a second night in the dark. PG&E expects all customers to be restored by 2pm Monday.
What we know:
The utility said the outage began shortly after noon Saturday in the western part of the city before spreading to several neighborhoods, including most of downtown. At one point, PG&E estimated that roughly one-third of all San Francisco customers were without electricity.
PG&E confirmed Sunday that an electrical fire at a substation at Mission and 8th Streets caused the outage.
"We are investigating what may have contributed to the fire," said PG&E spokesperson Melissa Subbotin. "The damages were extensive and complex. So the repairs are complex."
Richmond neighborhood residents frustrated as outage drags on
After more than 24 hours without, patience is wearing thin for many in the Richmond neighborhood.
Local perspective:
"I wonder why it takes so long for the PG&E to restore the power," said resident Hue Khuu.
"Thankfully in my garage I got a little lamp light so I got a little bit of light," said Yuki Rivera.
"We just light a candle and talk to each other," said Enki Badamkhand,.
Many are without heat and unable to cook.
"Thank God we made fish and rice right before the power outage, so we've been eating that," said Badamkhand.
Restaurants and other businesses impacted by missed revenue and spoiled food
For restaurants, the impact has been especially costly. Owners say they are losing thousands of dollars in spoiled food and missed revenue during what should be one of the busiest times of the year.
San Francisco restaurant owner David Chein said he has been forced to throw out large amounts of inventory at Sushi Bistro, located in the Richmond District. The restaurant has been without power since Saturday.
Friends who own nearby restaurants unaffected by the outage have allowed Chein to store some items in their freezers, but he said much of his product could not be saved.
"We have to do what we can," said Chein. "We’re hoping PG&E, or someone, can help these small businesses recoup, because in addition to lost revenue and people not coming in, it’s lost product."
Chein estimated losses at about $10,000 so far. He said the most frustrating part has been shifting information about when power would be restored.
"It’s been a lot of changed information. That’s been the toughest," said Chein. "If PG&E could have told us right up front that stuff was going to be out until two o’clock [Sunday], I would have moved everything yesterday."
Outage disrupts train service
Across town, the power was on, but Muni subway trains were at a standstill between Castro and Embarcadero due to the outage. Those service disruptions are expected to continue into Monday.
"We were walking down to the subway, Muni Metro Underground, and everybody's yelling, it's closed, it is closed," said Ken Broshous.
SFMTA provided buses to shuttle riders along Market Street.
Calls for accountability
District 4 Supervisor Alan Wong is calling for a public hearing into why the outage became so widespread.
"I think the question is back to PG&E. What is happening? What is the maintenance of the power grid?" said District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan. "This is a moment that we need to hold them accountable"
Waymo outage
The blackout also affected autonomous vehicle service in San Francisco. Waymo temporarily suspended its robotaxi operations, citing safety concerns. Video recorded during the outage showed several of the company’s vehicles stalled in intersections, at times blocking traffic and nearly causing collisions.
In a statement, Waymo said it was "focused on keeping our riders safe and ensuring emergency personnel have the clear access they need to do their work."
Waymo resumed service on Sunday.
"While the failure of the utility infrastructure was significant, we are committed to ensuring our technology adjusts to traffic flow during such events," Waymo said. "Throughout the outage, we closely coordinated with San Francisco city officials. We are focused on rapidly integrating the lessons learned from this event, and are committed to earning and maintaining the trust of the communities we serve every day."
Resources available for impacted residents
PG&E has opened a community resource center at the Richmond Rec Center at 251 18th Ave. It's open Sunday until midnight, and Monday from 8am to 10pm. Residents can charge phones, access wifi, get a snack or wash up. Crews are also distributing flashlights and blankets.
PG&E is also offering hotel vouchers for those without power. Residents can apply for these and other assistance by clicking here.
If you need assistance from the city, call 3-1-1, unless it's an emergency, in which case you should call 9-1-1.
The Source: Original reporting by Allie Rasmus and John Krinjak of KTVU.