Public Safety Power Shutoff

Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Company type	Public utility
Industry	Electric utility
Headquarters	San Francisco, United States
Area served	Northern California, parts of Southern California
Products	Electricity distribution and transmission
Website	https://www.pge.com

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Public Safety Power Shutoff, 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 extensive precautionary electricity interruptions impacting nearly 30 counties in Northern California and regions of Southern California from October 9 through November 1, 2019, with a subsequent round 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 shutdowns were designed to mitigate wildfire risks linked to electrical infrastructure during periods of strong, dry winds. Initially, about 800,000 customer accounts—equivalent to roughly 2.5 million individuals—were affected; however, by late October, the number of impacted customers surpassed 3 million as additional utility companies adopted preventive power interruptions.

The outages sparked widespread dissatisfaction among residents and government officials alike. Apologies were issued by PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, and the California Public Utilities Commission following criticism over inadequate communication efforts. Governor Gavin Newsom attributed the blackouts to PG&E's "greed and mismanagement." Public anger manifested in acts of vandalism, including egging a PG&E facility and gunfire directed at a PG&E vehicle.

For PG&E, the expense of undergrounding all distribution lines—the lower voltage cables supplying electricity to homes—is estimated at approximately per customer.

Background

California has long employed "Public Safety Power Shutoffs" (PSPS) as a preventative measure, mainly in rural settings. Prior to initiating these shutoffs during periods of high autumn winds and dry weather, PG&E provided months of warnings to the state to reduce wildfire hazards linked to its electrical lines, following devastating fires in 2017 and 2018 that resulted in 95 fatalities.

The state's expanding population in suburban and exurban zones—previously considered wilderness—has heightened wildfire vulnerability. More than one-third of California’s housing stock now lies within the wildland–urban interface, where fires can quickly spread between buildings, creating complex urban fire scenarios that challenge firefighting efforts.

Legal setting

A significant factor contributing to PG&E’s outages and subsequent bankruptcy is California’s distinctive application of the legal principle known as inverse condemnation. This doctrine holds utilities financially responsible for wildfire damages caused by their equipment regardless of fault or negligence. While typically applied to government bodies elsewhere, this legal approach has exposed PG&E to liabilities totaling $30 billion from the 2017 and 2018 wildfires, leading to its bankruptcy filing.

In July 2019, California established a $21 billion wildfire trust fund equally financed by utilities and their customers. The purpose of this fund is to cover future wildfire-related damages while reducing utility companies’ liability by requiring proof of negligence before assigning responsibility. Additionally, the burden of demonstrating utility mismanagement is shifted onto external parties.

Opponents caution that inverse condemnation increases the risk of utility bankruptcies, which could destabilize the electrical grid and hinder funding for renewable energy projects vital for combating climate change—the root cause behind escalating wildfire threats.

In reaction to changing legal exposures, California’s legislature and governor passed over twenty wildfire-focused laws in 2019, many aimed at regulating utility operations and refining power shutoff procedures.

Undergrounding

The greatest wildfire hazard linked to electrical supply arises from overhead power lines, which can spark fires when faults occur. In California, public utilities oversee approximately of high-voltage transmission cables and of distribution networks.

Statewide, about two-thirds of distribution lines are above ground, supplying electricity directly to residences. Installing lines underground involves substantially greater expenses: underground transmission lines cost around per mile, while underground distribution lines run about per mile compared to $800,000 per mile for overhead lines.

Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), the largest utility in California, manages of its distribution network as overhead lines. The expense to convert all PG&E’s overhead distribution infrastructure to underground would be near , equating to roughly per customer. This figure does not cover the more costly high-voltage transmission line conversions.

Timeline

October 4, 2019: San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) proactively de-energized power for roughly 400 customers in eastern San Diego County due to wildfire threats posed by Santa Ana winds. Restoration was anticipated by October 11.
October 9: PG&E initiated a significant power shutdown impacting over two million customers across nearly of electric circuits to mitigate wildfire ignition during strong winds. The outages were expected to continue for several days pending safety inspections.
October 10: Southern California Edison (SCE) interrupted power for 13,000 customers and alerted an additional 175,000 about possible outages.
October 11: As winds diminished, PG&E restored electricity to some customers; however, about half a million remained without service out of the 800,000 affected.
October 12: The initial phase of shutoffs concluded after affecting 738,000 customers in 35 counties.
October 22: PG&E announced a potential second wave of power shutoffs that could impact more than 500,000 customers.
October 25: SDG&E cut power to 19,000 households in San Diego County due to elevated fire risk conditions; this number had the potential to increase up to 50,000.
October 26: PG&E declared a second major blackout involving approximately 940,000 customers in Northern California as a wildfire prevention measure.
October 27: More than one million PG&E customers and over three million residents statewide experienced outages during this unprecedented blackout.
October 28: SCE disconnected power for 25,000 customers and issued warnings to as many as 350,000 others across ten counties near Los Angeles.
November 20: PG&E shut off electricity for around 450,000 people in Northern California.

These preemptive power interruptions reflect a deliberate yet costly strategy employed by utilities such as PG&E and SDG&E aimed at minimizing wildfire risks connected with electrical infrastructure amid hazardous weather conditions.

Impacts

On October 11, a man dependent on oxygen passed away twelve minutes after his area's power was cut; authorities are currently investigating. His family stated he was unable to access his battery-operated oxygen tank promptly. Numerous disabled individuals experienced inadequate communication from PG&E regarding outage schedules and were unable to operate critical medical equipment including ventilators, oxygen concentrators, nebulizers, dialysis machines, insulin refrigerators, as well as electrically powered beds and wheelchairs. Although PG&E maintained a Medical Baseline program database listing over 30,000 vulnerable customers primarily for outreach purposes, many were left without support. Reliance on this registry excluded numerous unregistered disabled persons and some registered individuals reported receiving no notification. Furthermore, PG&E restricted local counties from accessing this list, limiting their capacity to assist at-risk residents.

On October 11, the Mission Operations Center (MOC) at the University of California, Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory oversaw the launch of a satellite from Cape Canaveral despite the blackout. Paula Milano highlighted the critical need to proceed with the launch during the outage to prevent reputational harm for both Berkeley and NASA. Preparations for the shutdown began following notification on October 7.

By late October, water use restrictions were imposed in certain areas reliant on pump stations. Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) suspended commuter rail operations on October 28 and 29 due to loss of power at crossings; limited service resumed into downtown Santa Rosa the following day.

Potential Wildfire Incidents Prevented

After the power outages in early October, PG&E’s CEO reported more than 100 cases of "wind-induced damage" affecting the 25,000 miles of de-energized power lines. The majority of these incidents involved vegetation coming into contact with electrical lines, creating fire ignition hazards. He highlighted that over half of PG&E’s service territory, spanning 70,000 square miles, is now designated as high wildfire risk—an increase from just 15% in 2012.

By the end of October, PG&E notified a federal judge that the power shutoffs likely prevented up to 56 wildfires: 44 caused by vegetation touching lines and 12 resulting from wind-related equipment damage.

In March 2021, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) published a Technosylva risk assessment analyzing potential fire impacts if electrical infrastructure had remained energized during the October 2019 Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) conducted by SDG&E, PG&E, and SCE. Major conclusions included:

Pacific Gas and Electric: Across four PSPS occurrences, PG&E documented 662 damage events; the analysis suggested that 560 of these could have triggered fires. The largest simulated fire originated from an incident on October 9, which might have consumed around 23,500 acres, affecting over 2,000 buildings and approximately 3,300 residents—comparable to the Carr Fire region that scorched more than 219,000 acres in 2018.

San Diego Gas & Electric: During two PSPS events, SDG&E reported 15 damage cases—all with a high likelihood of causing fires. Modeling indicated potential fires could have burned upwards of 327,000 acres within San Diego County, impacting over 34,000 individuals and damaging roughly 35,000 structures.

Southern California Edison: Over five PSPS events, SCE recorded 64 damage incidents; 55 were predicted to ignite fires. The largest modeled blaze stemmed from a September 16 event and could have spread across about 15,425 acres, affecting more than 2,600 buildings and approximately 7,500 people. Multiple damage reports in this area pointed to a significant risk of ignition.

These evaluations emphasize the essential function of PSPS measures in mitigating wildfire hazards for California’s leading utility companies.

Subsequent Developments

On October 18, 2019, PG&E revealed that power shutoffs might continue for as long as ten years before seeing a considerable reduction, a statement that sparked criticism from state officials.

Following the 2019 outages, PG&E has concentrated efforts on upgrading its electrical systems to lower fire risks and decrease the frequency of shutoffs. On September 5, 2020, PG&E issued a PSPS Shutoff Watch for sections of Northern California due to anticipated high temperatures and strong winds. The company pledged to minimize customer impact and restore electricity within twelve hours—a notable enhancement compared to the extended outages experienced in 2019.

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