Nearly a third of San Francisco was plunged into darkness on Saturday as a widespread power outage disrupted daily life, public transportation, and forced Waymo to suspend its autonomous taxi service as the autonomous cars stalled at intersections across the city, creating havoc on the city streets.
Why It Matters
The blackout—impacting about 130,000 Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) customers—struck during one of the busiest weekends before Christmas, forcing shops and restaurants to close. Waymo’s autonomous taxis stalled at intersections, clogging key routes and creating gridlock across San Francisco. The outage also disrupted public transit, including the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system and San Francisco’s Muni network, leaving many residents stranded and unable to get home.
What To Know
The widespread blackout began early Saturday morning and continued into the evening, leaving approximately 130,000 customers—roughly 30 percent of the city—without electricity, according to PG&E.
Key affected neighborhoods included the Richmond and Sunset districts, Haight-Ashbury, Hayes Valley, Forest Hill, Golden Gate Park, the Presidio, and parts of downtown and SoMa.
Fire officials confirmed that parts of the outage were caused by a fire at a PG&E substation near 8th and Mission Streets, which was stabilized by around 4 p.m., according to The Associated Press.
By 11:30 p.m., PG&E reported that about 35,000 customers were still without power, though 95,000 had been restored.
The blackout also disrupted transit systems: BART stations at Powell Street and Civic Center closed, and both Muni and Central Subway services were suspended before gradually restoring service in the evening. Businesses and residents faced challenges without electricity; many shops and restaurants were forced to close, and the city’s Department of Emergency Management advised avoiding nonessential travel.
A Waymo spokesperson told local news publication SFGate that it had “temporarily” suspended its autonomous taxi service after vehicles were stalling at intersections as traffic signals were out—causing traffic jams and blocking emergency vehicles.
What People Are Saying
Suzanne Philion, a spokesperson for Waymo, told SFGate: “We have temporarily suspended our ride-hailing services given the broad power outage in San Francisco. We are focused on keeping our riders safe and ensuring emergency personnel have the clear access they need to do their work.”
The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management said: “We’re experiencing citywide power outages. Please stay home if you can, avoid all unnecessary travel, and check on neighbors safely. Updates on service and restoration times are available via PG&E.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said: “Muni lines and traffic signals are impacted by the power outage. If you don’t need to travel tonight, please stay off the roads and stay inside. We will be expanding officer presence at intersections and corridors to ensure the safety of those still on the road. We remain in close contact with PG&E as they restore power and will keep everybody posted as work continues.”
What Happens Next
PG&E stated late Saturday it had stabilized the city’s power grid and was not expecting additional outages, though restoration work and a full investigation into the blackout’s cause are ongoing. Local and state officials have not yet provided a detailed timeline for full restoration.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
