Residents of San Francisco's Richmond District are contending with a new disturbance following a significant power outage that left over 130,000 customers in the dark. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) installed generators to alleviate the outage, but these generators have since become a source of contention due to their continuous, thunderous operation.
The noisy generators, which are located at PG&E’s substation at 24th Avenue and Balboa Street, have been reported to emit noise levels peaking at 100 decibels, disrupting the neighborhood's peace. "This is so loud you cannot have a simple conversation," Vahid Sattary, a local resident, told KRON4. Nearby resident Mi Zhou, echoing the community's concerns, mentioned to KRON4 that while PG&E offered hotel accommodations, the primary worry was the indefinite duration of the generator's operation.
The frustration among residents about the noise levels and the lack of communication from PG&E was compounded by the generators running round the clock. "Try to fall to get to sleep with this noise," Steve Chen, who lives a block from the generators, lamented in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. The Chronicle also detailed residents’ difficulties in having their concerns addressed by the utility.
Despite repeated efforts to contact PG&E, residents say the response has been lackluster. "We called PG&E hotline to talk to several people. They took notes and said someone will contact us. No follow through," Sattary shared with KRON4. PG&E officials stated that the seven 2 megawatt generators were installed to provide temporary power and would run until repairs were complete, with no specific end date provided, according to information provided to the Chronicle.
Complicating matters, some residents, like Kathy Velazquez, were initially caught off guard by the towing of their vehicles to make way for the generator trailers without clear communication from PG&E. The company has since sent a text offering money for hotel rooms and meal stipends to those affected, but information on the noise's end date remains elusive. "I get up in the middle of the night and think I can turn the volume down," Velazquez recounted to the San Francisco Chronicle, expressing the toll taken on the everyday lives of the community.
