Mass power outage in San Francisco: 130 thousand homes left without electricity.

According to ТСН: California is facing serious problems with its energy system. On Saturday, around 130,000 households and businesses suddenly lost power, effectively bringing life to a halt across much of the metropolis.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) reported the situation on its official page on social media X. The energy workers stated that they are currently investigating the reasons for the incident, while emergency crews are actively collaborating with the city authorities to restore power.

Scale of the problem

This outage was so extensive that it affected approximately one-third of all customers of the utility in the city. Most of northern San Francisco was left without power, with the most affected areas being the densely populated Richmond and Presidio neighborhoods, as well as districts around the famous Golden Gate Park.

Traffic collapse

The lack of electricity caused chaos on the roads. According to CBS News, traffic lights across the city went dark, leading to numerous traffic jams. The Emergency Department urged residents to avoid traveling.

Additionally, public transport operations came to a halt:

• some metro stations were closed;

• trolleybuses and trams stopped right in the streets;

• bus routes were altered, as drivers had to detour around power-out areas.

San Francisco police warned drivers to be extremely cautious at intersections that are currently not regulated.

PG&E reported initial success in addressing the aftermath of the outage. The company confirmed that they have stabilized the power grid, and currently, no further outages are anticipated.

It is worth noting that last month a mass blackout occurred in France. Nearly 200,000 residents of Paris woke up in the dark, as a massive power outage halted public transport.

It is essential to emphasize that such incidents jeopardize not only comfort but also the safety of residents. The energy infrastructure requires renewal and strengthening to prevent similar situations in the future, especially considering that the rising electricity demands occur against the backdrop of climate change and population growth. Successfully addressing the current issue will be an important step in this direction.