A massive power outage knocked out electricity to approximately 130,000 homes and businesses across San Francisco, California on Saturday afternoon, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E).
Newsweek reached out to PG&E via email on Saturday for additional comment.
Why It Matters
The outage represents roughly one-third of PG&E’s total customer base in San Francisco, making it one of the most significant power failures the city has experienced in recent years.
The disruption occurred during the holiday season, leaving Christmas decorations darkened and forcing widespread closures of restaurants and shops across affected neighborhoods. The timing and scale of the outage has created significant disruptions to both residents’ daily lives and the city’s commercial activities during a typically busy shopping period.
What To Know
The blackout affected a large portion of the northern part of the city, including the Richmond and Presidio neighborhoods and areas surrounding Golden Gate Park. At least some of the outages were caused by a fire that broke out inside a PG&E substation located at 8th and Mission streets, fire officials reported around 3:15 p.m. local time.
The power failure began in the early afternoon and quickly expanded beyond its initial scope in northern San Francisco. The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management reported significant transit disruptions occurring citywide and urged residents to avoid nonessential travel. Officials advised drivers to treat darkened traffic signals as four-way stops due to the widespread nature of the outage.
Multiple transportation systems were impacted by the blackout. The city’s transit agencies announced they were bypassing certain Muni bus stops and BART train stations in affected areas. Social media posts and local news outlets documented mass closures of businesses, darkened street lights, and non-functioning traffic signals throughout the impacted zones.
By approximately 4 p.m., PG&E posted on social media platform X that the company had stabilized the power grid and was not expecting additional customer outages. The utility company’s latest update shows significant progress in restoration efforts, with nearly 98% of affected customers having their power restored within hours of the initial outage.
As of 6:41 p.m. PST, PG&E reported that 97.8 percent of customers had power restored, with 125,043 customers affected and 161 current outages remaining.
What People Are Saying
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. X update: “We are working with first responders and city officials on an outage in San Francisco affecting approximately 130,000 customers. We will share more information as it becomes available.”
San Francisco Department of Emergency Management X update: “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.”
The department added: “If you are home without power: Check in with neighbors, especially older adults or those with medical needs, if it safe to do so. Get outage updates from PG&E’s Outage Center or 1-800-743-5002; sign up for outage notifications. Keep fridge/freezer doors closed to prevent food spoilage. Turn off major appliances to prevent surges when power comes back on. Never use gas stoves, grills, or generators indoors due to carbon monoxide risks. If you are experiencing a medical, police, or fire emergency call 911. Otherwise, save 911 for life safety emergency calls.”
Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco Daniel Lurie on X: “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 crews continue working to restore power to the remaining customers affected by the outage.
Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.
Update 12/20/25, 11:17 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
