Power Slowly Restored in San Francisco After Massive PG&E Outage
San Francisco Power Outage: PG&E Restores Electricity After Substation Fire
Power was gradually restored across San Francisco late Saturday after a widespread outage left more than 130,000 homes and businesses without electricity, impacting nearly a third of the city.
Utility officials said restoration efforts continued through the night after the outage, which began Saturday morning and affected multiple neighborhoods citywide. By late evening, Pacific Gas and Electric Company reported that roughly 70% of affected customers had their power restored.
Timeline of the Outage
The first power outages were reported around 9:40 a.m. in the Inner Sunset neighborhood, initially impacting more than 14,000 customers. Additiona
l outages followed shortly after in areas including the Richmond District, Presidio, Golden Gate Park, Civic Center, downtown, the Mission District, Western Addition, and near the Chase Center.
By Saturday evening, tens of thousands of customers remained without power, though restoration continued steadily.
Mayor Daniel Lurie confirmed in a late-night update that residents were beginning to see electricity return but urged the public to remain cautious.
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“If you do not need to go out tonight, please stay home and be safe,” Lurie said, noting that traffic signals remained out in many parts of the city.
Substation Fire Identified as Cause
City officials said the outage was linked to a fire at a PG&E substation near 8th Street and Mission Street in the South of Market neighborhood. The San Francisco Fire Department responded to the scene Saturday afternoon, and investigators are still working to determine the exact cause.
Supervisors noted that the same substation was involved in a major outage in 2003 that affected roughly 120,000 customers.
City Services and Transportation Impacted
The outage disrupted public transportation across the city. Bay Area Rapid Transit temporarily closed Civic Center Station, while several lines operated with limited service before resuming normal operations later Saturday night.
Meanwhile, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency reported widespread disruptions to Muni service, particularly underground routes, and advised residents to avoid non-essential travel.
Traffic congestion worsened throughout downtown San Francisco as traffic lights went dark at major intersections. Emergency officials instructed drivers to treat affected intersections as four-way stops.
Business and Public Safety Concerns
The blackout forced some businesses to close during one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year. Local leaders expressed frustration over the timing of the outage, citing scheduled events and heavy foot traffic across the city.
Autonomous rideshare service Waymo temporarily paused operations in San Francisco due to safety concerns.
City officials repeatedly asked residents not to call 911 to report power outages unless there was a life-threatening emergency, emphasizing the need to keep emergency lines open.
Ongoing Investigation
PG&E said restoration crews continued working through the night and into Sunday morning, with tens of thousands of customers still impacted late Saturday. Officials confirmed that an investigation into the substation fire is ongoing.
While rain and wind were forecast for the Bay Area, authorities said it was unclear whether weather conditions played a role in the outage.
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