Nevada County, Calif. September 25, 2020 – PSPS #2 has been announced. 96,878 customers in 16 counties could be potentially impacted.
September 28, 2020 at 10:03 PM
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has restored power to essentially all customers who can receive service that were impacted by the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event that started early Sunday morning on September 27.
The PSPS event was initiated due to a severe weather pattern that included strong, dry winds coupled with elevated temperatures in portions of the Northern and Central Sierra region. The scope of the PSPS included nearly 65,000 customers in 15 counties, including: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Lake, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Tehama and Yuba counties. Two customers within Sonoma County were also included in this PSPS. A few customers in Kern County had initially been included, but due to improved weather conditions, were removed from the scope.
Once the strong winds subsided Monday morning and the weather “all clear” was given, PG&E crews began patrols on the ground beginning early Monday morning to inspect more than 3,915 miles of transmission and distribution power lines for damage or hazards. This patrol and inspection effort included nearly 1,700 ground personnel and 50 helicopters.
PG&E crews began restoring customers in areas where they found no damage or hazards to electrical equipment. In areas where equipment was damaged by the severe wind event, crews worked safely and as quickly as possible to make the repairs and restore those customers.
Damage and Hazards Identified
Preliminary data shows 13 instances of weather-related damage and hazards in the PSPS-affected areas. Examples include downed lines and vegetation on power lines. If PG&E had not de-energized power lines, these types of damage could have caused potential wildfire ignitions.
September 28, 2020 at 3:52 PM
Still 877 customers without power in Nevada County, estimated restoration time is 5:07 pm.
September 28, 2020 at 1:16 PM
September 28, 2020 at 12:11 PM
PG&E Issues Weather ‘All Clear’ in Most Locations for Public Safety Power Shutoff Event
Pacific Gas and Electric Company has begun patrols to inspect lines de-energized by the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) that started Sunday morning, Sept. 27, which affected about 65,000 customers in 16 counties. This follows the end of a severe weather pattern that included strong, dry winds coupled with elevated temperatures in portions of the Northern and Central Sierra region. Wind in de-energized areas due to PSPS were observed to include:
| Weather Station (county) | Event WS Max (mph) |
| Mt. St. Helena West (Sonoma) | 61 mph sustained, 73 mph gusts |
| Jarbo Gap (Butte) | 44 mph sustained, 72 gusts |
| Mt. Diablo. (Contra Costa) | 52 mph sustained, 66 mph gusts |
This morning, PG&E meteorologists in our Emergency Operations Center issued a weather all-clear for most—but not all—areas impacted by the PSPS. Crews have begun inspecting nearly 3,915 miles of transmission and distribution lines for damage or hazards. This patrol and inspection effort will include nearly 1,700 ground personnel and 50 helicopters.
About 37,000 customers are out of power due to wildfires that started overnight, including the Glass, Zogg and others. Power was turned off in partnership with CAL FIRE and for the safety of firefighters in active fire areas or due to damage caused from wildfire related impacts to equipment.
PSPS Restoration
Crews will inspect lines for damage or hazards caused by strong winds and other factors. Once the lines have been inspected and any needed repairs are made, PG&E will proceed to restore power.
PG&E expects to restore power to the large majority of customers impacted by this PSPS event by 11:59 p.m. Monday evening. Restoration may be delayed for some customers if crews are required to fix significant damage to individual lines, which could be caused by wind-blown branches and other debris.
- Inspect – PG&E crews work to visually inspect for potential weather-related damage to the lines, poles and towers. This is done by foot, vehicle and air.
- Repair – Where equipment damage is found, PG&E crews work to isolate the damaged area from the rest of the system so other parts of the system can be restored.
- Restore – Once the poles, towers and lines are safe to energize, PG&E’s Control Center can complete the process and restore power to affected areas.
- Notify Customers – Customers are notified that power has been restored.
For more information on the PSPS event, visit pge.com/pspsupdates.
Customer Support
As of this morning, PG&E has opened 26 outdoor, open-air Community Resource Centers (CRCs) in 11 counties to support customers when power is out at their homes and will provide ADA-accessible restrooms, hand-washing stations; medical-equipment charging; Wi-Fi; bottled water; grab-and-go bags and non-perishable snacks. PG&E updates its CRC locations regularly, click here for updates.
All CRCs will follow important health and safety protocols including:
- Facial coverings and maintaining a physical distance of at least six feet from those who are not part of the same household will be required at all CRCs.
- Temperature checks will be administered before entering CRCs that are located indoors.
- CRC staff will be trained in COVID-19 precautions and will regularly sanitize surfaces and use Plexiglass barriers at check-in.
- All CRCs will follow county and state requirements regarding COVID-19, including limits on the number of customers permitted indoors at any time.
· Out of precaution due to the wildfires, CRCs in Calistoga, Angwin, Magalia and Paradise have been closed.
September 28, 2020 at 11:11 AM
Per PG&E weather: weather all-clears should be declared across most of Northern CA by noon today.
September 28, 2020 at 10:06 AM
No update on conditions or restoration times from PG&E since 6 pm last night. Due to evacuation warnings, @PGE4Me’s Customer Resource Centers (CRCs) in Magalia and Paradise are closed. CRCs in Oroville and Forest Ranch are open.
September 27, 2020 at 12:22 PM
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) will continue to de-energize certain electrical lines as part of a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) due to a strong and dry wind event creating high fire risk. As communicated on Friday, the PSPS event will affect customers in portions of 16 counties, primarily in Northern and Central Sierra region, although the number of customers expected to be impacted has decreased by 27 percent due to favorable changes in forecast weather conditions.
The power shutoff is currently expected to impact approximately 65,000 customers in the following 16 counties, including:
- Alpine County: 573 customers, 6 Medical Baseline
- Amador County: 5,466 customers, 400 Medical Baseline
- Butte County: 11,339 customers, 961 Medical Baseline
- Calaveras County: 5,132 customers, 219 Medical Baseline
- El Dorado County: 27,286 customers, 1,796 Medical Baseline
- Kern County: 15 customers, 0 Medical Baseline
- Lake County: 55 customers, 2 Medical Baseline
- Napa County: 288 customers, 8 Medical Baseline
- Nevada County: 2,887 customers, 166 Medical Baseline
- Placer County: 4,380 customers, 281 Medical Baseline
- Plumas County: 785 customers, 24 Medical Baseline
- Shasta County: 2,815 customers, 240 Medical Baseline
- Sierra County: 1,099 customers, 22 Medical Baseline
- Sonoma County: 2 customers, 0 Medical Baseline
- Tehama County: 1,223 customers, 58 Medical Baseline
- Yuba County: 1,891 customers, 152 Medical Baseline
- Total: 65,237 customers, 4,335 Medical Baseline
Customers can use an address lookup tool to find out if their location is being monitored for the potential safety shutoff at www.pge.com/pspsupdates.
September 27, 2020 at 9:42 AM
September 27, 2020 at 9:00 AM
PG&E Community Resource Centers
Nevada County:
Foothills Event Center
400 Idaho Maryland Rd
Grass Valley, Nevada, 95945
Date Open: 9/27/2020
Date Closed To Be Announced
Hours Open 8:00AM – 10:00PM
Location Type: Indoor
Available Resources: Snacks and water, Air-conditioning/heating, Device charging, Ice, ADA-accessible restroom and washing station, Seating, Small medical device charging, Wi-Fi
Nevada City Elks Lodge
518 State Highway 49
Nevada City, Nevada, 95959
Date Open: 9/27/2020
Date Closed To Be Announced
Hours Open 8:00AM – 10:00PM
Location Type: Outdoor
Notes: In parking lot
Available Resources: Snacks and water, Device charging, ADA-accessible restroom and washing station, Small medical device charging, Wi-Fi
Sierra County
Arthur Joe Hauck Memorial Park
515 Miners St.
Alleghany, Sierra, 95910
Date Open 9/27/2020
Date Closed To Be Announced
Hours Open: 8:00AM – 10:00PM
Location Type: Outdoor
Notes: In parking lot
Available Resources: Snacks and water, Device charging, ADA-accessible restroom and washing station, Small medical device charging, Wi-Fi
Downieville Community Hall
322 Main St
Downieville, Sierra, 95936
Date Open: 9/27/2020
Date Closed To Be Announced
Hours Open 8:00AM – 10:00PM
Location Type: Indoor
Available Resources: Snacks and water, Air-conditioning/heating, Device charging, Ice, ADA-accessible restroom and washing station, Seating, Small medical device charging, Wi-Fi
September 26, 2020 at 4:22 PM
September 26, 2020 at 11:32 AM The updated list of customers potentially affected as of 11:00 am. 16 counties and 88,702 PG&E customers are still slated for a power shutoff.
| COUNTY | ALL | MEDICAL BASELINE | ESTIMATED SHUTOFF TIME | ESTIMATED WEATHER ALL CLEAR | ESTIMATED RESTORATION TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine | 573 | 6 | 2020-09-27 16:00:00 | 2020-09-28 06:00:00 | 2020-09-28 18:00:00 |
| Amador | 5465 | 400 | 2020-09-27 16:00:00 | 2020-09-28 08:00:00 | 2020-09-28 22:00:00 |
| Butte | 18009 | 1727 | 2020-09-27 02:00:00 | 2020-09-28 09:00:00 | 2020-09-28 22:00:00 |
| Calaveras | 9978 | 386 | 2020-09-27 16:00:00 | 2020-09-28 06:00:00 | 2020-09-28 18:00:00 |
| El Dorado | 30259 | 2011 | 2020-09-27 16:00:00 | 2020-09-28 08:00:00 | 2020-09-28 22:00:00 |
| Kern | 15 | 0 | 2020-09-27 21:00:00 | 2020-09-28 14:00:00 | 2020-09-28 18:00:00 |
| Lake | 55 | 2 | 2020-09-27 17:00:00 | 2020-09-28 08:00:00 | 2020-09-28 12:00:00 |
| Napa | 216 | 5 | 2020-09-27 17:00:00 | 2020-09-28 08:00:00 | 2020-09-28 12:00:00 |
| Nevada | 7260 | 434 | 2020-09-27 04:00:00 | 2020-09-28 09:00:00 | 2020-09-28 22:00:00 |
| Placer | 9056 | 560 | 2020-09-27 16:00:00 | 2020-09-28 08:00:00 | 2020-09-28 22:00:00 |
| Plumas | 785 | 24 | 2020-09-27 02:00:00 | 2020-09-28 09:00:00 | 2020-09-28 22:00:00 |
| Shasta | 2816 | 241 | 2020-09-27 02:00:00 | 2020-09-28 09:00:00 | 2020-09-28 18:00:00 |
| Sierra | 1099 | 22 | 2020-09-27 04:00:00 | 2020-09-28 09:00:00 | 2020-09-28 22:00:00 |
| Sonoma | 2 | 0 | 2020-09-27 17:00:00 | 2020-09-28 08:00:00 | 2020-09-28 12:00:00 |
| Tehama | 1223 | 58 | 2020-09-27 02:00:00 | 2020-09-28 09:00:00 | 2020-09-28 18:00:00 |
| Yuba | 1891 | 152 | 2020-09-27 04:00:00 | 2020-09-28 09:00:00 | 2020-09-28 22:00:00 |
| 88702 | 6028 |
September 26, 2020 at 11:27 AM The PG&E weather forecast for today reads, in part: “A dry offshore wind event will begin across Northern CA tonight, will peak and spread south along the High Sierra tomorrow, eventually reaching Southern CA divisions tomorrow night into Monday. Winds will then decrease across the North during the first half of Monday, while decreasing across the South Monday afternoon/evening. Peak sustained winds of 20 – 30 mph with gusts 40 – 55 mph are anticipated, with the highest gusts through the favored gaps. These winds will also coincide with hot temperatures and low relative humidity and the National Weather Service has issued Red Flag Warnings for portions of Northern CA valid from tonight through midday Monday. The Northern Operations Predictive Services has also forecast ”High Risk” for strong and dry offshore winds combined with dry surface fuels. “
September 25, 2020 at 9:26 PM Current number of customers by counties/cities potentially affected.
| County | Cities Impacted | Est customers impacted | Medical Baseline Customers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine | Unincorporated | 572 | 6 |
| Amador | Unincorporated | 5471 | 401 |
| Butte | Bangor | 1 | 0 |
| Butte | Butte Meadows | 1 | 0 |
| Butte | Chico | 1 | 0 |
| Butte | Oroville | 455 | 64 |
| Butte | Paradise | 3106 | 224 |
| Butte | Unincorporated | 15105 | 1496 |
| Calaveras | Unincorporated | 9978 | 386 |
| El Dorado | Greenwood | 1 | 0 |
| El Dorado | Kelsey | 1 | 0 |
| El Dorado | Placerville | 5685 | 307 |
| El Dorado | Unincorporated | 29927 | 2135 |
| Kern | Unincorporated | 27 | 0 |
| Lake | Unincorporated | 55 | 2 |
| Napa | Unincorporated | 181 | 5 |
| Nevada | Grass Valley | 4 | 0 |
| Nevada | Nevada City | 23 | 1 |
| Nevada | Unincorporated | 7318 | 437 |
| Placer | Colfax | 1107 | 43 |
| Placer | Loomis | 1 | 0 |
| Placer | Unincorporated | 8549 | 566 |
| Plumas | Unincorporated | 785 | 24 |
| Shasta | Unincorporated | 2816 | 241 |
| Sierra | Unincorporated | 1098 | 22 |
| Sonoma | Unincorporated | 2 | 0 |
| Tehama | Unincorporated | 1223 | 58 |
| Yuba | Marysville | 2 | 0 |
| Yuba | Unincorporated | 3383 | 282 |
September 25, 2020 at 7:24 PM PG&E Sierra Region PIO Brandon Sanders stated the Grass Valley hospital circuit which includes a large portion of downtown Grass Valley, the Seven Hills District and downtown Nevada City will be powered by the auxiliary generators the utility has dedicated to these circuits.
September 25, 2020 at 5:12 PM PG&E update: Given the expected weather conditions, PG&E began its one-day advance notifications to customers in areas where PG&E may need to proactively turn power off for safety to reduce the risk of wildfire from energized power lines.
The anticipated scope and timing of this event has changed from earlier announcements, based on updated weather forecasts that showed stronger wind gusts in a larger portion of PG&E’s service area. PG&E’s in-house meteorologists, as well as its Wildfire Safety Operation Center and Emergency Operations Center, continue to monitor conditions closely and additional notifications will be made today to customers who may be impacted by this event.
- Alpine 572
- Amador 5,471
- Butte 18,669
- Calaveras 9,978
- El Dorado 35,614
- Kern 27
- Lake 55
- Napa 181
- Nevada 7,345
- Placer 9,657
- Plumas 785
- Shasta 2,816
- Sierra 1,098
- Sonoma 2
- Tehama 1,223
- Yuba 3,385
Estimated shutoff times vary between 2 am Sunday morning and 5 pm on Sunday night. Restoration estimates are Monday between 6:00 pm and 10:00 pm.