San Diego Gas & Electric today announced it has restored power to all but 14 customers affected by this week’s Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS). The remaining customers are expected to be restored tomorrow morning.
SDG&E began de-energizing customers in the backcountry around 5:45 p.m. on Nov. 5 in response to elevated wildfire weather conditions and Santa Ana winds. This proactive measure was taken to reduce wildfire risk and protect public safety. SDG&E opened up Community Resource Centers in the affected areas, providing customers with services such as Wi-Fi, food, and phone and medical device charging. The Community Resource Center in the community still affected by the PSPS will remain open until power has been restored.
As soon as weather conditions improved enough to do so safely, SDG&E began patrolling areas that were de-energized to inspect equipment for damage and return service to customers.
In total, SDG&E notified about 24,700 customers in San Diego County’s backcountry to be prepared for a potential PSPS. A total of approximately 1,200 customers were de-energized. Details of the impacted communities can be found at sdge.com/psps.
The safety of its customers, employees and the communities it serves is SDG&E’s top priority. A PSPS is a last resort tool that is used to help reduce the risk of wildfires when conditions threaten the company’s ability to safely operate its system. SDG&E understands that power outages are inconvenient and, in an effort to reduce wildfire risk and PSPS impacts, it has made significant investments in its wildfire resiliency efforts over the last 15 years. For more information, visit SDGE.com/wildfire.