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PG&E Will Proactively Turn Off Power for Safety to Nearly 800,000 Customers Across Northern and Central California

 October 8, 2019 - 4:36 PM EDT

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PG&E Will Proactively Turn Off Power for Safety to Nearly 800,000 Customers Across Northern and Central California

SAN FRANCISCO

Portions of 34 Counties Will be Impacted by Widespread, Severe Wind Event Beginning Wednesday

New Counties Added Since Monday: Marin, Humboldt, Trinity and Kern

As a precautionary measure to reduce wildfire risk during the forecasted severe wind event, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) confirmed that it will implement a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) in portions of 34 northern, central and coastal counties, affecting electric service for nearly 800,000 customers.

PG&E expects to begin turning off power in some areas early Wednesday, just after midnight. The power will be turned off to communities in stages, depending on local timing of the severe wind conditions, beginning with counties in the northern part of the state.

“The safety of our customers and the communities we serve is our most important responsibility, which is why PG&E has decided to turn power off to customers during this widespread, severe wind event. We understand the effects this event will have on our customers and appreciate the public’s patience as we do what is necessary to keep our communities safe and reduce the risk of wildfire,” said Michael Lewis, PG&E’s senior vice president of Electric Operations.

Customer notifications and impact

The company has been notifying potentially impacted customers and will continue to do so, via automated calls, texts and emails. However, customers not impacted by the PSPS may experience power outages due to PG&E equipment damaged during this major wind event; those customers will not be notified in advance.

It is very possible that customers may be affected by a power shutoff even though they are not experiencing extreme weather conditions in their specific location. This is because the electric system relies on power lines working together to provide electricity across cities, counties and regions.

Portions of Kern, Humboldt, Trinity and Marin counties have been added to the potential scope of this PSPS, in addition to the 30 counties identified Monday. Customers can find the full list of impacted counties, cities and communities at www.pge.com/pspsupdates.

Estimated time of restoration

Overall, based on the latest weather forecasts and models, PG&E anticipates that this weather event will last through midday Thursday, with peak winds forecasted from Wednesday morning through Thursday morning and reaching 40 to 55 mph, with isolated gusts up to 60 to 70 mph.

Before restoring power, PG&E must inspect its equipment for damage and make any necessary repairs. That process cannot begin until the severe weather event has subsided.

Given the prolonged period during which the wind event will unfold, and the large number of power line miles that will need to be inspected before restoration, customers are being asked to prepare for an extended outage.

PG&E will work with state and local agencies to provide updated restoration timelines following the conclusion of the severe weather event.

Community Resource Centers

To support customers in the affected areas, PG&E will open Community Resource Centers in several locations beginning on Wednesday, October 9, at 8 a.m. The centers will remain open during daylight hours only. Restrooms, bottled water, electronic-device charging and air-conditioned seating for up to 100 will be available at these facilities.

Centers will be opened at the locations below:

County

City

Location

Butte

Oroville

Bird Street School, 1421 Bird St, Oroville 95965

Butte

Magalia

14144 Lakeridge Court, Magalia 95954

El Dorado

Placerville

El Dorado Fairgrounds 100 Placerville Drive, Placerville 95667

Lake

Clear Lake

Clearlake Senior Center 3245 Bowers Avenue, Clearlake 95422

Napa

Napa

1001 Fairgrounds Drive, Vallejo 94589

Napa

Calistoga

Calistoga Fairgrounds - 1601 N. Oak Calistoga 94515

Santa Clara

San Jose

Avaya Stadium 1123 Coleman Avenue, San Jose 95110

Nevada

Grass Valley

Sierra College Grass Valley 250 Sierra College Drive, Grass Valley 95945

Contra Costa

San Ramon

Bishop Ranch Parking Lot – 2600 Camino Ramon, San Ramon 94583

Calaveras

Arnold

Meadowmont Shopping Center - 2182 HWY 4, Arnold 95223

San Mateo

Half Moon Bay

Pasta Moon Restaurant, 845 Main St Half Moon Bay 94019

Placer

Auburn

Gold Country Fairgrounds 1273 High Street Auburn 95603

Shasta, Tehama

Redding, Cottonwood, Red Bluff

Shasta College, 11555 Old Oregon Trail Redding 96003

Solano

Vacaville

Mission Church 6391 Leisure Town Road, Vacaville 95687

Sonoma

Santa Rosa, Sonoma

Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building 1351 Maple Ave, Santa Rosa 95404

Alameda

Oakland

Merritt College LOT B – Leona St., Oakland 94508

Tuolumne

Sonora

Mother Lode Fairgrounds 220 Southgate Drive, Sonora 95370

Santa Cruz

Aptos

Twin Lakes Church 2701 Cabrillo College Dr, Aptos 95003

Amador

Pioneer

Mace Meadows Golf Course, 26570 Fairway Drive Pioneer 95666

Mendocino

Ukiah

1775 N. State Street, Ukiah 95482

Yolo

Winters

Next to PG&E Gas Academy - Intersection of E. Grant Avenue & Timber Crest Road, Winters 95694

Colusa, Glenn

Williams, Orland

839 Newville Road, Orland 95963

Mariposa

Coulterville

Coulterville Fire Dept - 10293 Ferry Road, Coulterville 95311

Sierra

Sierra City

Loganville Campground parking lot - HWY 49, Sierra City 96125

Stanislaus

Westley

Westley Hotel - 8615 CA-33, Westley 95387

Plumas

La Porte

2140 Main St. La Porte 95981

El Dorado

El Dorado Hills

Rolling Hills Christian Church 800 White Rock Road, El Dorado Hills 95762

Yuba

Oregon House

9185 Marysville Road, Oregon House 95962

How customers can prepare

As part of PSPS preparedness efforts, PG&E is asking customers to:

  • Update their contact information at pge.com/mywildfirealerts or by calling 1-866-743- 6589 during normal business hours. PG&E will use this information to alert customers through automated calls, texts, and emails, when possible, prior to, and during, a PSPS.
  • Plan for medical needs like medications that require refrigeration or devices that need power.
  • Identify backup charging methods for phones and keep hard copies of emergency numbers.
  • Build or restock your emergency kit with flashlights, fresh batteries, first aid supplies and cash.
  • Keep in mind elderly family members, younger children and pets. Information and tips including a safety plan checklist are available at pge.com/psps.
  • Continue to monitor PG&E’s new weather forecasting web page at pge.com/weather which is a dedicated page with weather forecasting information and a daily 7-day PSPS lookahead.

Generator safety

  • Backup electric generators can be a part of any preparedness plan, but they can also pose unique safety hazards.
  • It’s important to understand how to safely operate your generator before an emergency occurs. This means doing regular safety checks and being sure you have enough fuel to last a few days. If you don’t understand how to use your generator, you risk damaging your property, endangering your life and endangering the lives of others.
  • Position your generator where its exhaust can vent safely to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, which can be fatal. Never run a portable generator in the garage or in the rain, and never store generator fuel in the house.
  • Additional tips on the safe use of generators can be found at PG&E’s Safety Action Center at www.safetyactioncenter.pge.com.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy company in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/ and http://www.pge.com/about/newsroom/.

Media Relations

415.973.5930

Source: Business Wire
(October 8, 2019 - 4:36 PM EDT)

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