PG&E Proactively Shuts Off Power for Safety, Affecting About 600 Customers in Kern County

FINAL UPDATE: 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 10 

After receiving weather all-clears for all de-energized areas today (Dec. 10), PG&E crews were able to complete patrols and inspections and have safely restored power to all 580 customers affected by the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) that began on Monday evening (Dec. 9).

UPDATE: 4:35 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 10

Weather All Clear in Kern County, PG&E Begins Patrols to Safely Restore Power

Today (Dec. 10), PG&E issued a weather all-clear for areas impacted by the PSPS event that began on Monday (Dec. 9) in Kern County. The weather all-clear allows crews to begin patrols, inspect electrical equipment for damage and make any necessary repairs before safely restoring power to customers.

PG&E began proactively shutting off power for safety to approximately 600 customers in Kern County as part of a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) around 7 p.m. Monday.

PG&E operations professionals shut off power on several sections of powerlines in Kern County because of a forecasted dry and gusty wind event that entered southern parts of our service area Monday and exited this afternoon.

Given the forecasted dry and gusty winds and current dry vegetation conditions, PG&E sent advanced notifications to customers — via text, email, and automated phone call — in targeted areas where power could be proactively shut off for safety to reduce wildfire risk. In some areas Monday evening, wind gusts reached 54 mph.

Restoration Steps:

• Weather “All-Clear”: After high winds have passed, and it is safe to do so, a weather “all-clear” is issued for our crews to begin patrols and inspect electrical equipment.
• Patrol and Inspect: Our crews visually inspect for potential weather-related damage to powerlines, poles and towers. This is done by vehicle, foot and air.
• Isolate and Repair Damage: If crews find equipment damage, they work to isolate the damaged area from the rest of the system. Other parts of the system can then be restored.
• Restore Power: Once the poles, towers and lines are safe to energize, our Control Center restores power to affected areas.
• Notify Customers: We notify customers that power has been restored.

To learn more, please visit www.pge.com/pspsupdates.

UPDATE: 9:45 p.m., Monday, Dec. 9

PG&E began proactively shutting off power for safety to approximately 600 customers in Kern County as part of a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) around 7:40 p.m. this evening (Dec. 9).

PG&E operations professionals shut off power on several sections of powerlines in Kern County because of a forecasted dry and gusty wind event expected to enter southern parts of our service area late tonight and exit Wednesday afternoon.

Given the forecasted dry and gusty winds and current dry vegetation conditions, PG&E sent advanced notifications to customers — via text, email, and automated phone call — in targeted areas where power could be proactively shut off for safety to reduce wildfire risk. The duration and extent of power outages will depend on the weather in each area, and not all customers will be affected for the entire period.

The Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event will affect approximately 600 customers in Kern County.

To learn more, please visit www.pge.com/pspsupdates.

UPDATE: 11:00 a.m., Monday, Dec. 9

PG&E operations and meteorology professionals continue to actively monitor a potential dry and gusty wind event forecasted to enter southern parts of our service area late tonight (Dec. 9) and exit Wednesday afternoon. Given the forecasted dry and gusty winds and current dry vegetation conditions, PG&E has sent advanced notifications to customers — via text, email, and automated phone call — in targeted areas where power may need to be proactively shut off for safety to reduce wildfire risk. The duration and extent of power outages will depend on the weather in each area, and not all customers will be affected for the entire period.  

The potential Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event could affect approximately 600 customers in Kern County.

• Kern County: 596 customers, 28 Medical Baseline customers

PG&E initiates PSPS when the fire-weather forecast is severe enough that people’s safety, lives, homes and businesses may be in danger of wildfires. Our overarching goal is to stop catastrophic wildfires by proactively turning off power in targeted areas when extreme weather threatens our electric grid. We recognize that PSPS outages create hardships for our customers and communities. Our sole focus is to keep our customers safe. 

Customers can look up their address online to find out if their location is being monitored for the potential safety shutoff at www.pge.com/pspsupdates. 

Community Resource Centers

During a PSPS, we open Community Resource Centers (CRC) where community members can access resources, including:

• A safe location to meet their basic power needs, such as charging medical equipment and electronic devices
• Up-to-date information about the PSPS
• Water, snacks, blankets, ADA-accessible restrooms and other essential items to reduce hardships to our customers

One outdoor CRC is being built in Kern County at the Lebec Post Office, 2132 Lebec Road, Lebec, CA 93243. The site will open today (Dec. 9) at 5 p.m. and close at 10 p.m. Operating hours thereafter will be from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Opening dates/times are based on forecasted de-energization times.

UPDATE: 12:15 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8

PG&E operations and meteorology professionals are monitoring a potential dry and gusty wind event forecasted to enter southern parts of our service area late Monday night and exit Tuesday afternoon. Given the forecasted dry and gusty winds and current dry vegetation conditions, PG&E has begun sending advanced notifications to customers—via text, email, and automated phone call—in targeted areas where power may need to be proactively shut off for safety to reduce wildfire risk. The duration and extent of power outages will depend on the weather in each area, and not all customers will be affected for the entire period.  

The potential Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event could affect approximately 600 customers in Kern County. 

• Kern County: 596 customers, 28 Medical Baseline customers 

PG&E initiates PSPS when the fire-weather forecast is severe enough that people’s safety, lives, homes and businesses may be in danger of wildfires. Our overarching goal is to stop catastrophic wildfires by proactively turning off power in targeted areas when extreme weather threatens our electric grid. We recognize that PSPS outages create hardships for our customers and communities. Our sole focus is to keep our customers safe.   

Customers can look up their address online to find out if their location is being monitored for the potential safety shutoff at www.pge.com/pspsupdates.