PG&E restores power to rural Vacaville, Winters after PSPS event
(Graphic by Solano NewsNet)
The Pacific Gas & Electric Company has restored electrical service to hundreds of rural Vacaville and Winters residents that was initially shut off due to a planned safety power shutoff, or PSPS, event.
More than 100 residents of rural Vacaville and another 200 residents of Yolo County were impacted by the PSPS event, which was designed to prevent PG&E’s equipment from starting wildfires during a period of extreme heat.
The PSPS event coincided with a Red Flag Warning issued by the National Weather Service office in Sacramento. Forecasters warned that above-average temperatures in excess of 100 degrees combined with low humidity and gusty wind could cause wildfires to spark quickly and spread dangerously.
PG&E said it notified customers at least 24 hours in advance that their electrical service could be disrupted. In Solano and Yolo counties, residents were warned that the service could be turned off around 2 a.m., but the disruption actually began 30 minutes early, according to a review of online information by Solano NewsNet.
The utility said power could be off through Wednesday evening, but might be lifted based on favorable weather conditions. A review of PG&E’s outage map showed all affected residents in rural Vacaville and Winters had their electrical service turned back on by 3:30 p.m.
PG&E does not send press releases or other community updates to this news outlet, despite numerous requests over the last few years.