San Francisco Power Crisis Extends Into Third Day as PG&E Rushes Restoration
San Francisco Power Crisis Extends Into Third Day
A catastrophic substation fire has left thousands of San Francisco residents without electricity as restoration efforts continue into Monday. What began as a significant outage on Saturday afternoon, affecting approximately 130,000 customers at its peak, has evolved into a prolonged crisis for vulnerable communities across the city.
Restoration Challenges and Timeline
PG&E crews have mobilized every available engineer and electrician to address the complex damage at the Mission substation. Despite initial hopes for rapid restoration, the utility now estimates full power recovery will occur later today. Neighborhoods including Golden Gate Park, the Presidio, and Buena Vista Park experienced extended blackouts, disrupting daily life and business operations throughout the weekend.
Community Impact and Recovery
Residents faced unexpected closures of essential services, including movie theaters and local businesses. The extended outage highlighted infrastructure vulnerabilities and the critical importance of reliable power systems in urban areas. PG&E continues investigating the incident while prioritizing safety protocols during the restoration process.
```About the Organizations Mentioned
PG&E
**Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)** is California's largest investor-owned utility, delivering natural gas and electricity to approximately 16 million people across a 70,000-square-mile territory in northern and central California, from Eureka to Bakersfield.[1][2][3] Founded on October 10, 1905, through the merger of predecessor gas and electric firms, PG&E rapidly expanded by acquiring hydroelectric assets, reservoirs, and dams from Sierra mining operations, becoming the Pacific Coast's largest integrated utility by 1914 and handling 26% of California's electric and gas business.[2] The 1920s brought further growth via key buys like the California Telephone and Light Company and Sierra and San Francisco Power Company, reaching nearly one million customers by 1927 and electrifying 300 Northern California communities.[2][3] Post-WWII booms solidified its dominance, and in 1997, it restructured under holding company PG&E Corporation.[2] Key achievements include pioneering U.S. utility scale—first to serve over a million customers by 1929—and infrastructure feats like 106,681 miles of electric distribution lines, 18,466 miles of transmission lines, 42,141 miles of gas distribution pipelines, plus 7 GW installed capacity.[1][4] With ~26,000 employees, PG&E emphasizes renewables (30% of energy mix as of 2022) and sustainability, earning high marks in client engagement and intangible investments per 2022 benchmarks (total score 34.1/100, #20/68 utilities).[3][4] Currently, headquartered in Oakland (with San Francisco ties), PG&E operates under California Public Utilities Commission oversight, serving 5.2-5.5 million electric and 4.3-4.5 million gas accounts.[1][2][3] Its parent boasts a $34.9 billion market cap (March 2025) and $21
