PG&E warns of possible planned power outages in Solano, Yolo counties
(Graphic by Solano NewsNet)
The Pacific Gas & Electric Company is warning of possible planned safety power shutoffs (PSPS) events that could impact as many as 300 customers in north Solano and nearby Yolo counties this week.
The shutoffs are timed to coincide with a Red Flag Warning issued by the National Weather Service due to elevated wildfire risk associated with extremely high temperatures and low humidity levels.
PG&E says power outages are “likely” between Tuesday, July 2 at 2:30 a.m. to Wednesday, July 3 at 2 p.m. Additional outages are possible throughout the week as extreme wildfire-prone weather lingers.
In Solano County, around 100 customers have been warned that their electrical service could be disrupted between Tuesday and Wednesday, including residents of rural Vacaville along Pleasants Valley Road, south of Highway 128 and east of the Napa County line.
In Yolo County, residents of western Winters, including parts of the Golden Bear neighborhood, and a rural area along the Napa County line south of Brooks, have been placed on notice that their electrical service could be disrupted.
The PSPS event is intended to prevent the start of wildfires, particularly in areas where PG&E equipment has aged. PG&E power lines and other equipment have been linked to several destructive and deadly wildfires over the past decade, including an urban wildfire that killed 85 people in 2018.
“PG&E understands that losing power, especially during periods of high heat, is extremely difficult for customers and is working diligently to provide resources in these communities,” a PG&E spokesperson said on Monday.
If PG&E moves forward with power shutoffs, the utility says it will open community cooling centers. The location of these facilities was not available as of Monday, but PG&E typically opens a cooling center in Vacaville and Fairfield whenever it moves forward with a PSPS event.