PG&E shut off power for an estimated 7,400 customers scattered across San Francisco Friday, including the beleaguered Sunset District, as the SF Emergency Management Department warned residents Thursday that SF’s record-breaking heat wave could put a strain on the grid.<\/p>\n
As the Chronicle reports<\/a>, PG&E customers in various San Francisco neighborhoods experienced unplanned power outages Friday, according to a city employee. The utility’s updates reportedly caused confusion, leading to the impression that it was one big outage. Per the Chronicle, the outage was actually a series of smaller, separate outages impacting overlapping areas.<\/p>\n The utility announced around 6:15 pm Friday that power had been restored for most customers who lost power, as the Chronicle reports, citing equipment failure in an underground vault at 18th and Guerrero and a failed cable in a separate outage.<\/p>\n PG&E did not give a statement Friday on the causes of the outages, per the Chronicle, but the SF Department of Emergency Management had sent an alert<\/a> to residents on Thursday to be prepared for power outages, as they’re common in extreme heat conditions.<\/p>\n Earlier on Friday, news outlets gave conflicting reports regarding how many customers were without power Friday afternoon. KTVU reported<\/a> that around 7,400 PG&E customers in San Francisco\u2019s Golden Gate Park and Sunset District neighborhoods lost power Friday afternoon after the utility shut off service to repair a damaged section of its electrical system. <\/p>\n Per KTVU, the outage was reported around 2:30 pm, with most customers\u2019 power restored within 40 minutes. Around 800 customers were still without power as of 3:10 pm, which was expected to be turned back on by 6:30 pm.<\/p>\n Additionally, the Chronicle and KRON4<\/a> reported that the Upper Market, Castro, and Lower Haight districts also lost power, which were expected to be restored around 8 pm. <\/p>\n The department of emergency management advised residents on social media<\/a> to check PG&E<\/a> for updates. <\/p>\n A large, unplanned power outage is impacting multiple neighborhoods and moving throughout the city. <\/p>\n Know where to check outage updates. Visit PG&E\u2019s Outage Center or call 1-800-743-5002 for real-time outage maps, updates, and estimated restoration times. You can also sign up to\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/puIIz7Bfaw<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 San Francisco Department of Emergency Management (@SF_emergency) March 20, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n As SFist reported last weekend<\/a>, an earlier unplanned PG&E outage occurred Sunday morning, affecting 3,600 addresses in the Richmond\/Sea Cliff neighborhood, which was fully restored after three and a half hours. A PG&E representative told the Chronicle<\/a> that the cause was being investigated.<\/p>\n SFist reported in January that a group of Sunset District business owners were suing PG&E<\/a> over losses from the December 20 outage that left roughly 137,000 customers without power \u2014 some for multiple days during a peak holiday weekend.<\/p>\n PG&E\u2019s CEO told the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Thursday, per KTVU, that the utility is working to improve communication, emergency response, and infrastructure following the December outage. <\/p>\n Image: SF Department of Energy Management\/X<\/p>\n The story has been updated with new information about the outages.<\/p>\n Previously: Massive Power Outage In San Francisco Leaves 200,000+ In the Dark, Disrupts Muni and BART<\/a><\/p>\n