PG&E Sending Two Day-Ahead Notifications to Approximately 30,000 Customers Who Might Experience a Public Safety Power Shutoff

OAKLAND, Calif. — Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is monitoring an offshore wind event beginning Wednesday, October 14 through Saturday, October 17. In response, PG&E has activated its Emergency Operations Center and has sent advanced notifications in targeted areas where PG&E may need to proactively turn power off for safety to reduce the risk of wildfire from energized powerlines.

Elevated fire danger is expected due to dry and gusty conditions across much of the territory. Strongest winds are expected in the Sierras, Southern Central Coast, and portions of the North and East Bay.

The potential Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event is anticipated to begin late Wednesday and continue through Saturday. Approximately 30,000 customers in targeted areas of 22 counties are currently in scope, including approximately 2,000 Medical Baseline customers and two tribal governments.

Approximately 3,000 customers who experienced a PSPS event last weekend may be affected again due to this emerging wind event. For many customers, this will be their first PSPS event since the program was established in 2018, and PG&E is conducting additional outreach to explain how PSPS works, why PG&E calls them, and how customers can prepare.

Customer counts and locations may change, depending on evolving weather and operational conditions.

Potentially Affected Counties and Customer Numbers

approximately two days before the potential shutoff. When possible, PG&E employees will conduct individual in-person visits to customers enrolled in the company’s Medical Baseline Program who do not verify they have received these important safety communications, with a primary focus on customers who rely on electricity for critical life-sustaining equipment.

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

PG&E’s commitment is that catastrophic wildfires shall stop. PG&E is determined to protect our hometowns from wildfires, and a PSPS is a last resort.

Once severe weather has passed, and it is safe to do so, PG&E will work quickly and nimbly to patrol and inspect lines to restore power for customers as soon as possible.

Community Resource Centers

PG&E is planning to open Community Resource Centers (CRCs) in affected counties. CRCs offer ADA-accessible restrooms, device charging, Wi-Fi, blankets, air conditioning, bottled water, and snacks. Check pge.com/pspsupdates for the latest CRC hours and locations.

California Network of 211

Customers can call 211 for help preparing for a potential power outage or any other kind of emergency, such as a PSPS, to minimize hardships caused by wildfire safety outages.

Support is available before, during, and after a power outage. PG&E’s 211 partnership also provides proactive emergency preparedness outreach for those who rely on power for medical needs, have a disability, are in the aging population, or have other needs. Call 211, text ‘PSPS’ to 211, or visit 211.org to find their local 211.

Why PG&E Calls a PSPS Event

We initiate PSPS when the weather forecast is for such severe weather that people’s safety, lives, homes and businesses may be in danger of wildfires.

As each weather situation is unique, we carefully review various factors when deciding if power must be turned off. These factors include:

• Low humidity levels, generally 30% and below
• There is a forecast of high winds, particularly sustained winds above 19 miles per hour, and wind gusts above 30-40 miles per hour.
• Condition of dry material on the ground and low moisture content of vegetation.
• Real-time ground observations from our Hazard Awareness and Warning Center and our crews working across the service territory.

Our decision-making process also accounts for the presence of trees tall enough to strike powerlines.

This set of criteria is a first step that may lead to further analysis by our meteorology team to determine if a PSPS event is necessary.

Here’s Where to Learn More

• PG&E’s emergency website (pge.com/pspsupdates) is now available in 16 languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Russian, Vietnamese, Korean, Farsi, Arabic, Hmong, Khmer, Punjabi, Japanese, Thai, Portuguese and Hindi. Customers can choose their language when viewing the information when visiting the website.
• Customers are encouraged to update their contact information and indicate their preferred language for notifications by visiting pge.com/mywildfirealertsor calling 1-800-743-5000, where in-language support is available.
• Tenants and non-account holders can sign up to receive PSPS ZIP Code Alerts for any area where you do not have a PG&E account by visiting pge.com/pspszipcodealerts.
• At PG&E’s Safety Action Center (safetyactioncenter.pge.com customers can prepare for emergencies. By using the “Make Your Own Emergency Plan” tool and answering a few short questions, visitors to the website can compile and organize the important information needed for a personalized family emergency plan. This includes phone numbers, escape routes and a family meeting location if an evacuation is necessary.

PG&E’s Commitment to Wildfire Safety

Using advanced technologies and rebuilding the electric system from the underground up, we are preventing wildfires, improving reliability, and reducing costs over the long term. We are

building the future energy grid that our customers deserve while taking immediate steps to keep customers safe.

Our wildfire prevention work relies on layers of protection to make our system safer and more resilient while positioning us better to serve our customers in the short and long term. These tools help us respond to our state’s evolving climate challenges:

• Our 10,000-mile Undergrounding Program is the largest effort in the U.S. to underground powerlines as a wildfire risk reduction measure.
• In addition to undergrounding, we are strengthening the electric system with strong poles and covered powerlines in and near high fire-risk areas.
• Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS) decrease ignitions and provide wildfire protection to all customers living in high fire-risk areas.
• We continue to reduce the impact of Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS).
• We are managing trees and other vegetation near powerlines that could cause a power outage and/or ignition.
• We are also investing in advanced tools and technologies like artificial intelligence and drones that help us automate fire detection and response.