PGE September public safety power shutoff recap

Over the past week, gusty winds and extreme fire conditions led PGE to implement a proactive Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) for only the second time in company history. This last-resort safety measure impacted approximately 30,000 customer homes and businesses located in 10 PSPS areas and an additional 7,000 customers in 7 additional preventive outage areas. The preventive power outage areas were added due to unique conditions that, when combined with extreme fire conditions, low humidity, and strong wind gusts topping 50 MPH, created a high risk of fire in those areas. 

Although some customers experiencing a PSPS may not have personally noticed the high winds from the storm event, it is important to understand that PGE evaluated a variety of factors (wind speed, moisture levels in trees and brush, humidity, temperature, field observations) before activating this last resort safety measure to help protect customers and the community.  

As you can see in the photo gallery, high winds knocked down trees, impacting PGE equipment. By implementing proactive outage measures that de-energize power lines in high-risk areas, we reduced the risk of wildfire and prevented the devastating loss of life and property our state experienced in 2020.  

During the event, PGE’s Community Resource Centers served approximately 2500 individuals, families and community members, providing access to charging for personal electronics, Wi-Fi and distributing ice and water.  

Restoration efforts involved nearly 500 operational personnel, including 112 PGE contractors and mutual assistance crews working round-the-clock to patrol, inspect and make necessary repairs to 1800 miles of service lines required to safely restore power. We appreciate our customers’ patience as we prioritized the safety of our crews and the communities we serve.