2019 California power shutoffs

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article 2019 California power shutoffs, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 7 August 2025

The 2019 California power shutoffs, referred to as public safety power shutoff (PSPS) events, involved widespread precautionary electricity interruptions across nearly 30 counties in Northern California and segments of Southern California between October 9 and November 1, 2019, with an additional event on November 20, 2019. These outages were implemented by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E).

These power interruptions were intended to reduce wildfire ignition risks caused by electrical infrastructure during periods of strong, dry winds. Initially, about 800,000 customer accounts—equivalent to roughly 2.5 million residents—were affected. However, as more utility providers adopted preemptive outages, the total number of impacted individuals statewide exceeded 3 million.

The shutoffs generated considerable criticism from both the public and government representatives. PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, along with the California Public Utilities Commission, issued formal apologies. A primary source of discontent was the insufficient advance notice about outage schedules. California governor Gavin Newsom attributed the outages to PG&E’s "greed and mismanagement." Public dissatisfaction culminated in acts of vandalism and violence directed at PG&E facilities.

For PG&E, the estimated expense to place all distribution lines—lower voltage cables that supply power directly to homes—underground is approximately per customer.

Background

The practice known as "Public Safety Power Shutoff" (PSPS) has been employed in California for some time, mainly in rural regions. PG&E announced its planned outages several months ahead of time, activated during episodes of high winds combined with dry conditions that elevate wildfire hazards. The utility initiated power cutoffs in the San Francisco Bay Area starting October 9 to prevent fires linked to its equipment, referencing incidents such as the fatal October 2017 Northern California wildfires and the 2018 Camp Fire, which resulted in 95 fatalities.

As more people settle in areas previously dominated by wilderness, wildfire dangers have increased. Over one-third of California’s housing stock exists within the wildland–urban interface, where fires can quickly leap between buildings, producing "fast-moving urban conflagrations" that pose severe challenges for firefighting operations.

Legal setting

In addition to safety motivations, PG&E’s blackouts are influenced by California’s distinctive use of inverse condemnation, a legal doctrine holding utilities accountable for wildfire damages regardless of fault. This system has exposed PG&E to liabilities totaling $30 billion from fires occurring in 2017 and 2018, contributing to its bankruptcy filing.

In July 2019, a $21 billion wildfire trust fund was created with equal contributions from utilities and customers. This fund caps utility liability by requiring proof of negligence and permits utilities to access financial support for wildfire claims exceeding their insurance limits. The mechanism aims to stabilize utility financial health while shielding consumers from sudden rate increases.

Opponents contend that inverse condemnation threatens utility solvency, risking grid reliability and complicating financing for renewable energy projects designed to combat climate change—a factor that exacerbates wildfire risks.

In reaction, California’s legislature and governor passed over 20 new laws related to wildfires in 2019, many targeting electrical utilities and altering their legal obligations.

Undergrounding

A significant wildfire hazard linked to electrical supply arises from the large amount of energy transmitted by above-ground power lines, which can ignite fires during fault events. In California, utilities manage roughly of high-voltage transmission lines and of distribution lines.

Electricity reaches consumers through distribution lines, with about two-thirds of these lines statewide installed overhead. The expense of placing transmission lines underground is around per mile, a cost considerably greater than that for distribution lines, which run about per mile when buried compared to $800,000 per mile for overhead installation.

Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), the state's largest utility, oversees of distribution lines, with installed overhead. Transitioning all PG&E’s overhead distribution infrastructure to underground would require an estimated investment of , equating to roughly per customer—this figure pertains solely to distribution lines and excludes transmission infrastructure costs.

Timeline

On October 4, 2019, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) proactively disconnected power for approximately 400 customers in eastern San Diego County due to wildfire threats from Santa Ana winds; service restoration was anticipated by October 11.
Starting October 9, PG&E de-energized nearly of its lines impacting over 2 million customers as a preventative wildfire measure; outages were projected to continue for several days pending safety inspections.
On October 10, Southern California Edison (SCE) interrupted power for 13,000 customers and alerted an additional 175,000 about potential outages.
By October 11, PG&E had restored electricity to some locations, yet around 500,000 customers remained without service out of the initial 800,000 affected.
The initial wave of shutoffs concluded on October 12 after affecting 738,000 customers across 35 counties.
On October 22, PG&E announced a possible second round of shutoffs that could impact more than 500,000 customers.
SDG&E expanded outages on October 25 to nearly 19,000 households due to elevated fire danger conditions.
On October 26, PG&E declared a shutdown affecting 940,000 customers in Northern California—the second major outage that month.
By October 27, over one million customers and upwards of three million residents statewide were without power.
On October 28, SCE cut electricity to 25,000 customers and warned up to 350,000 more in the greater Los Angeles area.
On November 20, PG&E again turned off power for around 450,000 people in Northern California.

These expansive precautionary outages underscore the utilities’ deliberate strategies to reduce wildfire hazards amid adverse weather scenarios.

Impacts

A man reliant on oxygen therapy passed away twelve minutes after his area lost power on October 11. Following his family’s report that he was unable to access his battery-operated oxygen tank promptly, an investigation was initiated. Numerous disabled individuals expressed concerns about inadequate communication from PG&E regarding shutoff schedules and the inability to operate vital medical equipment such as ventilators, oxygen concentrators, nebulizers, dialysis machines, refrigerated medications, and electrically powered beds or wheelchairs. Although PG&E maintained a Medical Baseline program listing over 30,000 vulnerable customers, it primarily served as a contact directory and failed to provide comprehensive support. Reliance on this list left many unregistered vulnerable individuals without assistance; some registered customers also reported receiving no communication. Moreover, PG&E restricted local counties’ access to this list, hindering their capacity to aid at-risk residents.

Despite the blackout on October 11, 2019 [UTC], the Mission Operations Center at UC Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory successfully managed a satellite deployment launched from Cape Canaveral. Paula Milano highlighted the critical need to proceed with operations promptly to protect Berkeley’s and NASA’s reputations. Preparations for the outage began immediately upon notification on October 7.

By late October, water usage restrictions were imposed in certain regions dependent on electric pump stations. Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) suspended commuter rail service on October 28 and 29 due to power loss at crossings; partial operations resumed the following day reaching Downtown Santa Rosa.

Potential Wildfire Prevention

After the power outages in early October, PG&E's CEO disclosed that over 100 instances of wind-related damage were identified among the 25,000 miles of de-energized lines. The majority of these damages involved vegetation coming into contact with power lines, creating potential ignition hazards. He highlighted that more than half of PG&E's 70,000-square-mile service territory is now designated as high wildfire risk, a significant rise from just 15% in 2012.

By the end of October, PG&E reported to a federal judge that these power shutoffs likely prevented as many as 56 wildfires—44 sparked by vegetation touching lines and 12 caused by wind-induced equipment failures.

In March 2021, the CPUC published a risk assessment conducted by Technosylva, evaluating the potential fire consequences had the infrastructure remained energized during the October 2019 Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) implemented by SDG&E, PG&E, and SCE:

Pacific Gas and Electric: During four PSPS events, PG&E documented 662 damage occurrences; 560 were predicted to ignite fires. The most severe modeled event (October 9) could have triggered a fire covering roughly 23,500 acres, threatening over 2,000 structures and more than 3,300 residents near the Carr Fire vicinity.

San Diego Gas & Electric: Across two PSPS events, SDG&E identified 15 damage incidents—all with high fire ignition potential. These fires might have consumed upwards of 327,000 acres within San Diego County, impacting over 34,000 people and approximately 35,000 buildings.

Southern California Edison: Throughout five PSPS events, SCE reported 64 damage cases; 55 were expected to cause fires. The largest projected fire (September 16) could have expanded to about 15,425 acres, affecting more than 2,600 structures and around 7,500 individuals. Multiple incidents occurring in close proximity heightened the chances of ignition.

These findings emphasize the essential function of PSPS measures in reducing wildfire risks associated with electrical infrastructure across California’s primary utility providers.

Subsequent Developments

On October 18, 2019, PG&E revealed that power shutoffs might persist for up to a decade before seeing a notable decline—a declaration met with criticism from numerous California officials.

Following the 2019 outages, PG&E has concentrated efforts on upgrading its electrical systems to lower fire hazards and decrease the frequency of shutoffs. On September 5, 2020, PG&E issued a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) Watch for multiple Northern California areas due to forecasted high heat and strong winds. The utility assured customers that any power interruptions would affect fewer individuals and last shorter periods compared to those in 2019, targeting restoration within 12 hours rather than several days.

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