PG&E cuts power to 4,700

Pacific Gas & Electric began shutting off electricity in parts of Northern California on Sunday, May 17, after forecasting high winds and low humidity that could raise wildfire risk, the utility said. PG&E said the public-safety power shutoff event could affect about 4,700 customers in 15 counties, making it the company’s first PSPS event of 2026. Initial de-energizations started at 5:40 a.m. Sunday, with additional shutoffs later in the morning and early afternoon, according to PG&E updates. The utility said the outages were concentrated in smaller pockets rather than broad countywide blackouts. ### Which areas were actually shut off? PG&E said the first shutoffs on May 17 hit targeted portions of Colusa, Glenn, Tehama, Napa, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Solano and Yolo counties. At 12:39 p.m. Sunday, the utility said it began another round affecting about 500 customers in small areas of Alameda, Contra Costa and San Joaquin counties. The wider warning area covered parts of 15 counties: Alameda, Colusa, Contra Costa, Fresno, Glenn, Lake, Merced, Napa, San Benito, San Joaquin, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama and Yolo, according to PG&E and local television reports. PG&E’s outage pages said address-level status would be more accurate than countywide maps because conditions could shift quickly. ### Why did PG&E cut power this time? PG&E said it uses public-safety shutoffs when severe fire weather threatens electric lines and nearby communities. The utility cited strong winds, dry vegetation and low humidity as the factors behind the May 17 event. The National Weather Service had issued Red Flag Warnings for parts of Northern California, and local fire officials in the North Bay said gusty winds and lower humidity were increasing the potential for fire activity. ABC7 reported that firefighters had already responded to vegetation fires during the weekend as the weather pattern intensified. ### Why do customer counts differ from one report to another? PG&E’s own update said the event could affect approximately 4,700 customers across 15 counties, but the number actually without power at a given moment was lower as the shutoffs rolled out in stages. By early Sunday afternoon, PG&E said total customers de-energized for safety were about 4,050 after the latest round began. Local reports also focused on narrower geographies. Some television outlets described only the first counties where power had already been cut, while others counted customers in the broader warning footprint. That left different figures in circulation depending on whether a report referred to the maximum potential impact, the number already shut off, or a subset of counties. ### What does a PSPS event require PG&E crews to do? PG&E said field teams must first de-energize selected lines and then inspect equipment before service can be restored. The company’s public updates said weather conditions, ground patrols and line inspections all factor into when power can be turned back on. NBC Bay Area reported that narrower outage windows can make switching coordination and re-energization planning more constrained for crews during fire-weather events. PG&E did not publish a single restoration time for all affected counties on Sunday, instead directing customers to its outage center and PSPS updates page. ### What support was offered to customers? PG&E said it opened six Community Resource Centers and one Grab & Go location for affected customers. The utility said those sites could provide ice, charging, Wi-Fi and other support during the shutoffs. The California Public Utilities Commission says utilities can temporarily cut power in specific areas to reduce wildfire risk from electric infrastructure. PG&E’s PSPS pages also direct customers to 211 and to company programs for food replacement, batteries, hotel stays, transportation and financial assistance. ### When will the shutoff threat end? PG&E’s seven-day PSPS forecast on Monday showed shutoff warnings for May 17 and May 18, with no public-safety shutoff listed from May 19 through May 23. The utility said customers should keep checking address-specific outage status because weather and field conditions can change during an event. PG&E’s next updates were posted through its outage center and PSPS alerts pages on May 18, with county-level maps, Community Resource Center locations and restoration information for affected customers.