Yesterday, the lights went out across San Francisco’s Sunset District as an unplanned PG&E outage cut electricity to thousands of homes and businesses, plunging busy intersections into darkness and knocking out traffic signals. The blackout slammed into the late-afternoon rush, forcing some restaurants and small shops to close early and leaving residents scrambling for backup power, not exactly the Friday vibe anyone ordered. Neighbors also reported that pockets of the outage stretched into parts of the Lower Haight.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, PG&E’s online tracker showed more than 7,000 customers without power at one point, and the company classified the disruption as unplanned. Crews worked through the afternoon to restore service across the city’s west side while some traffic signals remained offline. Customers were directed to PG&E for live maps and estimated restoration times.
Neighbors and merchants say this is the latest in a string of hits
The outage landed as residents and business owners on the west side continued pressing PG&E after a Dec. 20 substation fire that cut power to roughly one-third of the city, according to KQED. Sunset merchants have organized merchant walks and are weighing legal claims, saying the utility’s automatic credits do not cover real losses, a dispute reported last month in Hoodline coverage of merchant walks and legal claims. Many shopkeepers said slow payments and sparse communication have deepened frustration across the neighborhood.
Regulatory scrutiny grows
San Francisco officials have demanded answers from the utility, and some supervisors have asked state regulators to step in as outages have piled up this winter. The California Public Utilities Commission has said its review of the December substation fire and related service interruptions is ongoing, per the San Francisco Chronicle. City leaders say they will continue to press PG&E for a public accounting of root causes and a clear timeline for repairs and upgrades.
How to stay informed and prepare
Customers looking for up-to-the-minute status are urged to monitor PG&E and sign up for alerts. San Francisco has previously opened community resource centers, offering charging stations, water and assistance, during major outages. If your power is out, officials advise turning off major appliances and reporting the outage so crews can prioritize repairs.
