PG&E Power Shutoff: Outages, Closures In Marin County

MARIN COUNTY, CA — The first of three phases in a widespread Pacific Gas and Electric Company public safety power outage was implemented early Wednesday morning, leaving more than 74,000 customers in the North Bay and 513,000 across Northern California in the dark.

The utility company started cutting power around midnight across significant portions of its service territory, including in Marin County and elsewhere in the North Bay, in an effort to avoid sparking a wildfire during extreme weather and fire conditions. Nearly 800,000 customers in Northern and Central California are expected to be affected by the shutoffs.

"The safety of our customers and the communities we serve is our most important responsibility, which is why PG&E has decided to turn power off to customers during this widespread, severe wind event," said Michael Lewis, PG&E's senior vice president of electric operations.

"We understand the effects this event will have on our customers and appreciate the public's patience as we do what is necessary to keep our communities safe and reduce the risk of wildfire."

Also see: Over 500,000 Without Power In CA As PG&E Starts Power Shutdowns

Approximately 9,855 customers are expected to lose power in Marin County, according to PG&E. The impacted areas include Bolinas, Fairfax, Mill Valley, Muir Beach, Olema, Sausalito and Stinson Beach.

"We are being proactive and mobilizing our resources due to the potential power loss and increased fire threat," said Supervisor Kate Sears, president of the Marin County Board of Supervisors. "Public safety is our No. 1 priority, and we will focus our efforts to ensure the safety and security of our residents – especially those with access and functional needs whose health could be impacted by the loss of power."

The Marin Headlands Visitor Center, Muir Woods National Monument, Muir Beach and Overlook, and Stinson Beach were closed Wednesday, according to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

The Bolinas, Marin City and Stinson Beach libraries were closed. All other locations remained open.

The following schools were closed Wednesday due to the shutoffs:

• Bolinas School and Stinson Beach School in the Bolinas-Stinson Union School District
• Tam Valley School in Mill Valley School District
• Willow Creek Academy in Sausalito Marin City School District
• Marin Horizon School
• Mount Tamalpais School
• North Bridge Academy

Also see: Tam Valley School Closed, Other Schools Open In Mill Valley

All classes and programs at the Mill Valley Community Center were canceled Wednesday with the exception of JUMP Indoor Play, Kidzwatch, Teen Zone and the Senior Center, according to the city. Regularly scheduled classes and programs were expected to resume Thursday.

The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito was also closed due Wednesday. The nonprofit said calls to the rescue hotline should be directed to 831-633-6298

Sears said the decision to turn off the power and the speed at which it is restored is managed solely by PG&E. "We'll work alongside their staff to communicate updates using all our outreach tools," she said.

PG&E said it made the decision to turn off power based on forecasts of dry, hot and windy weather including potential fire risk. PG&E anticipates the weather event will last through midday Thursday.

Strong winds, low humidity and warm temperatures prompted the National Weather Service to issue a red flag warning for much of the San Francisco Bay Area and elsewhere in Northern California. This weather event has the potential to bring the strongest offshore winds to the area since the October 2017 North Bay fires, according to weather officials.

The red flag warning is in effect from 5 a.m. Wednesday to 5 p.m. Thursday in Marin County, according to the National Weather Service. A wind advisory is also in effect from 6 a.m. Wednesday until 3 p.m. Thursday.

Also see: Red Flag Warning, Land-Use Restrictions In Effect For Marin

Other counties impacted by the first phase of shutoffs early Wednesday morning, in addition to Marin, included: Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Solano, Sonoma, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo and Yuba.

The second phase of the shutoff is slated around noon, according to PG&E, and will impact another 234,000 customers in Alameda, Alpine, Contra Costa, Mariposa, San Joaquin, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

A third phase is being considered for the southernmost portions of PG&E's service area and would impact roughly 42,000 customers, according to PG&E. Specific locations are still to be determined.

Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit trains will operate on the normal train schedule during the shutoff event and stations without power will remain open. SMART officials, however, said passengers should be prepared for delays.

Related:

• Over 500,000 Without Power In CA As PG&E Starts Power Shutdowns
• Nearly 10,000 Marin Households Will Be Affected By Power Shutoff
• Red Flag Warning Issued For Much Of NorCal: NWS
• Red Flag Warning, Land-Use Restrictions In Effect For Marin
• SMART Trains On Normal Schedule; Delays Expected Due To Shutoff
• Tam Valley School Closed, Other Schools Open In Mill Valley