In Twenty-Nine Counties, the Lights May Soon Go Out

There is a particular alertness that settles over California when the winds begin to shift—when the dry air moves from the interior toward the coast, gathering speed as it descends mountain slopes, and the hillsides lie waiting with their tinder of dry grass and brush. This week, that alertness has a number: 88,000. That is how many customers Pacific Gas and Electric now says could lose power across twenty-nine counties as the utility braces for a dangerous offshore wind event.

The number grew quickly. On Monday, PG&E estimated about 30,000 customers might be affected. By Tuesday, that figure had risen to 70,000. By Wednesday morning, it had climbed to approximately 88,000 . The potential Public Safety Power Shutoff could begin Wednesday evening and continue through Saturday afternoon, depending on how the winds develop .

The largest concentrations of customers at risk are in San Luis Obispo County, with about 10,460; Calaveras County, with 10,793; Placer County, with 5,306; and El Dorado County, with 8,757 . The forecast also expanded significantly in Amador County, from 48 customers to 4,557, and in Tuolumne County, from 1,787 to 7,248 . Madera County’s estimate jumped from 1,724 to 7,273 .

The winds driving this concern are known as Diablo winds in Northern California and Santa Ana winds in Southern California—dry, gusty offshore flows that can spread wildfires rapidly and knock trees and branches into power lines . PG&E said the strongest winds are expected in the Sierras, the Southern Central Coast, and portions of the North and East Bay . Humidity could fall into single digits across some areas, creating conditions in which electrical equipment poses an elevated ignition risk .

Approximately 5,500 customers enrolled in PG&E’s Medical Baseline program could be affected, along with areas associated with six tribal governments . The utility has sent advance notifications via text, email, and automated phone calls, and employees may conduct in-person visits to Medical Baseline customers who rely on electricity for life-sustaining equipment .

PG&E emphasized that the geographic extent of the shutoffs remains subject to changing weather conditions and that outages would occur by zones rather than simultaneously . “If the wind speeds that are currently forecast continue to materialize, that will probably be a primary factor in ultimately making the determination that it’s going to be a go,” said PG&E spokesperson Jeff Smith . For now, the map is drawn, the warnings are sent, and California waits to see where the lights will go out.

The images in this article are AI-generated and used solely for illustrative purposes.

Sources: PG&E, Fresno Bee, ABC30 Fresno, OilPrice.com