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PG&E began shutting off power Thursday across several counties, including some in the Bay Area, as part of the utility’s efforts to prevent wildfires amid dry and windy conditions.
The planned Public Safety Power Shutoffs began early Thursday in Contra Costa County and were followed by shutoffs in Alameda, Santa Clara, San Joaquin and other counties, PG&E spokesperson Jeff Smith said.
The utility earlier this week said the shutoffs could affect about 11,500 customers in parts of 15 counties, including 647 in Alameda County, 276 in Contra Costa County, 1,907 in Monterey County, 985 in San Joaquin County, and 48 in Santa Clara County.
PG&E initiates the power shutoffs when officials with the utility determine that weather conditions are severe enough that they could spark wildfires. People can go to https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/psps-updates/ to see if their address will be affected and to find out more information about the planned shutoffs.
The outages could last into the weekend as windy weather continues to affect Northern California, according to PG&E.
The utility was planning to open 14 Community Resource Centers in its coverage area this week. The centers will offer essential items like water, snacks and blankets, as well as power sources to charge devices and up-to-date information about the shutoffs, PG&E officials said.
