PG&E warns of possible safety shutoffs from dry weather, winds

PG&E warned Friday that about 16,000 customers across seven counties could have their power shut off Saturday due to safety reasons from potential dry and windy conditions.

Meteorologists and operations professionals from PG&E are monitoring a potential high wind event that is forecasted to start mid-Saturday morning, the utility said in a press release.

Power shutoffs are used as a proactive approach to reduce the risk of wildfire from energized power lines, according to PG&E.

San Joaquin County has the most potentially affected customers at 6,352, while more than 5,000 face potential shutoffs in Stanislaus County, nearly 4,000 in Merced County, 328 in Contra Costa County, 193 in San Benito County, 163 in Alameda County and three customers in Fresno County, PG&E officials said.

An advanced notice was sent out through text messages, emails, and automated phone calls.

The shutoff is expected to start at 11 a.m. while winds continue throughout the day. Customers can look up their address online to find out if their area is being monitored for the shutoff using https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/psps-updates/ .

PG&E said they anticipate restoring customers' power as early as Saturday evening.

"PG&E's in-house meteorologists, as well as its Emergency Operations Center and its Hazard Awareness & Warning Center (HAWC), continue to closely monitor conditions," the utility said in a statement. "We will share additional customer notifications as conditionsa evolve."