San Francisco Recovers from Major PG&E Power Outage

On Saturday, December 20, 2025, a fire at Pacific Gas and Electric Company's (PG&E) substation at 8th and Mission streets led to a substantial power outage in San Francisco, impacting about 130,000 customers—nearly one-third of the city's residents.

The outage began around 9:40 a.m., initially affecting approximately 15,000 customers. By 10:10 a.m., the number had risen to about 25,000, with the situation escalating throughout the day. PG&E crews worked diligently to restore power, and by Sunday afternoon, electricity had been reinstated to most areas. However, approximately 16,000 customers remained without power as of 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The outage affected several neighborhoods, including the Richmond District, Sunset, Presidio, Golden Gate Park, and parts of downtown. Traffic signals were non-operational in these areas, leading the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management to advise drivers to treat intersections as four-way stops.

Local businesses faced significant challenges due to the power loss. Many were forced to close, resulting in financial losses, especially during the busy holiday season. PG&E has encouraged affected businesses to file claims for losses incurred during the outage.

PG&E has not yet determined the exact cause of the substation fire and is conducting a thorough investigation. The utility company has mobilized additional engineers and electricians to expedite repairs and aims to restore power to all remaining customers by 2 p.m. on Monday.