Richmond Residents Outraged by New PG&E Power Outage
Residents of Richmond, San Francisco, are expressing outrage following a series of power outages, most recently on Friday. This marks the sixth such incident in less than a month, leaving approximately 3,400 customers without electricity in the Outer Richmond and Sea Cliff neighborhoods. The ongoing disruptions have turned into a significant concern for both residents and local lawmakers.
Details of the Outages
The recurring power failures began after a fire at a Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) substation on December 20. The incident reportedly blackened a third of San Francisco, and since then, the Richmond community has faced repeated blackouts.
Community Impact
- Residents experienced power loss during the holiday season.
- Many reported inconsistent restoration timelines from PG&E.
- Temporary diesel generators were used to restore power, causing noise issues.
Lauren Mufarreh, a local resident, highlighted the frustrations with PG&E’s estimates for power restoration. Initially told power would be restored by 8 p.m., this was later delayed to 5:15 p.m. Such delays have made the situation challenging for those working from home.
Response from Lawmakers
The handling of these outages has led to increasing scrutiny from city leaders. State Senator Scott Wiener announced plans to introduce legislation allowing cities to disconnect from PG&E and explore publicly owned utilities. Furthermore, newly appointed Supervisor Alan Wong intends to demand answers from the company through a hearing.
Compensation Concerns
While Mufarreh received a $200 stipend from PG&E for her trouble, she worries that such compensation falls short for many homeowners and business owners facing larger losses. “These false predictions make it really tough,” she expressed, explaining the strain on families and jobs in the area.
PG&E’s Ongoing Efforts
In a statement on Friday, PG&E affirmed that its employees were actively working to resolve the outages. However, the ongoing issues have fueled community anger and calls for significant changes in how the utility operates within the city.
