PG&E warns of more shutoffs as fire conditions continue threatening California grid

PG&E says more planned power shutoffs are likely starting Wednesday and continuing through Saturday, as hot, dry winds keep fire risk high across California. The utility is watching for another round of offshore winds and warns that fire weather conditions will affect much of its service area, which spans more than two dozen counties, mostly in northern and central California. These "public safety power shutoffs" are deliberate outages utilities use to keep power lines from sparking fires during dangerous wind and heat.

This follows weeks of grid strain. A heat wave in early October pushed California power demand to around 46,000 megawatts, prompting the state grid operator to issue several alerts asking suppliers to keep plants and power lines available, though no emergency conservation requests went out to the public. San Diego Gas & Electric also shut off power to about 35,000 customers in early October due to extreme heat and wildfire danger, later giving an all-clear. PG&E has already cut power to around 12,200 customers across 17 counties and three tribal areas in separate rounds this month, restoring it each time once conditions eased.

If you live in PG&E's or SDG&E's service area, especially in the counties named, it is worth expecting the possibility of a planned outage this week. These shutoffs are usually short and targeted to specific high-risk areas rather than utility-wide, but they can affect homes with medical equipment, refrigeration, or home heating and cooling systems that depend on steady power.