San Francisco Blackout: Investigating the Causes

A significant incident affecting San Francisco occurred when a fire broke out at a Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) substation, prompting a massive blackout. The outage began on Saturday, leaving approximately 130,000 customers without power during a critical holiday season. This incident raised concerns about infrastructure reliability and emergency response.

Overview of the San Francisco Blackout

The fire ignited around 1:10 p.m. at PG&E’s Mission substation, located at Eighth and Mission streets. Initially, 40,000 customers were impacted. To ensure safety, PG&E crews de-energized additional sections of the electric system, escalating the total number of customers affected to around 130,000.

Firefighting Challenges

Firefighters encountered significant challenges while battling the blaze. They had to ventilate carbon monoxide before safely entering the building. As the situation unfolded, damage to critical equipment, such as a circuit breaker, complicated restoration efforts.

Restoration Progress

• 6:15 p.m. Saturday: Firefighters declared the building safe for PG&E crews.
• 8:45 p.m. Saturday: Nearly 32,000 customers were reconnected.
• 9:30 p.m. Saturday: About 100,000 customers had power restored, representing roughly 75% of those affected.
• Noon Sunday: 90% of affected customers regained power.

Despite initial estimates for complete restoration by 2 p.m. Monday, PG&E later adjusted this timeline, indicating that about 3,800 customers would remain without power until 6 a.m. Tuesday. This uncertainty has left many residents frustrated.

Community Sentiment

Residents expressed their anger at PG&E for the lack of communication and shifting timelines. John McAllen, a long-time resident, criticized the utility for not providing accurate information. Mayor Daniel Lurie shared similar frustrations, deeming the outage and communication issues “unacceptable” and demanding accountability from PG&E.

Investigation and Causes

PG&E has stated that they are currently unsure of the fire’s cause. The COO, Sumeet Singh, mentioned the extensive damage complicates the determination of a root cause. In response, PG&E has enlisted an independent engineering firm, Exponent, to investigate the incident further.

Maintenance and Reliability Questions

Despite having conducted preventative maintenance in October and a recent inspection in December, PG&E could not identify any prior issues. Residents expressed concerns regarding the reliability of infrastructure, especially with the approaching storms expected to bring heavy rain and wind.

Support for Affected Customers

PG&E plans to initiate an expedited claims process for affected customers to compensate for losses such as spoiled food or business revenue. Details regarding this process will soon be available on the PG&E website.

Future Prevention Measures

In light of the incident, PG&E emphasized that they have not identified vulnerabilities at other substations and are committed to enhancing system reliability. As the region braces for severe weather, over 5,500 PG&E workers and contractors have been deployed to address any further issues promptly.