Power outage knocking out 130K San Francisco customers ahead of holiday shopping weekend, here’s when electricity returns

Power knocked out more than 130,000 PG&E customers across San Francisco on December 20, leaving roughly 30% of the city plunged into darkness during the critical holiday shopping weekend. The massive outage disrupted public transit, stranded Waymo self-driving vehicles, and forced businesses to close just days before Christmas. Fire officials identified a substation fire near 8th and Mission streets as a contributing factor to the blackout that started around 9:40 a.m.

Massive Outage Impacts Holiday Shopping Weekend

The power failure began around 9:40 a.m. on Saturday morning and quickly escalated into one of the most significant outages the Bay Area has experienced. By 3 p.m., PG&E’s website showed that approximately 30% of San Francisco was without electricity, affecting neighborhoods including the Presidio, Richmond, Sunset, Golden Gate Park, Western Addition, and Downtown areas.

The timing proved particularly disruptive as San Francisco was in the midst of the busy holiday shopping season just four days before Christmas. Many retail stores, restaurants, and businesses were forced to close their doors due to the complete loss of power. The outage disrupted shopping trips and forced residents to alter their holiday plans during what is typically the busiest retail period of the year.

Fire at PG&E Substation Contributes to Blackout

At approximately 3:15 p.m., the San Francisco Fire Department responded to a one-alarm fire inside a PG&E power substation located at 8th and Mission streets. Fire crews worked to suppress the blaze using carbon dioxide and brought it under control by 4:24 p.m., according to officials.

Lieutenant Mariano Elias of the San Francisco Fire Department stated, “I’m comfortable saying it’s a contributing factor to the power outages, but I don’t know if that’s the entire reason as to why.” This statement indicates the fire likely played a significant role in the massive blackout, though PG&E has not fully determined the complete cause of the initial outages. The utility company continues investigating what triggered the widespread power failure.

Public Transportation and Tech Services Disrupted

The power outage cascaded across San Francisco’s critical infrastructure systems. BART closed the Powell Street and Civic Center stations due to the blackout, and trains experienced 10-minute delays elsewhere in the city. The Muni and Central Subway systems halted service entirely due to the power failure affecting their operations.

Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company operating ride-hailing services in San Francisco, temporarily suspended its services during the outage. According to a statement from Waymo spokesperson Suzanne Philion, “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.” Social media showed Waymo vehicles apparently stalled at darkened intersections across the city.

By 7 p.m., service had been restored at BART’s Powell and Civic Center stations, and Muni and Central Subway services resumed later that evening. At around 9 p.m., San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced that both transit systems were resuming operations, though lingering effects from the closure continued to impact service quality.

City Issues Safety Warnings and Emergency Guidance

San Francisco officials worked quickly to manage the crisis and issue critical safety guidance to residents. The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management warned that traffic lights had been affected and instructed drivers to treat darkened intersections as four-way stops. Additionally, more police officers were deployed to major intersections and corridors to ensure public safety during the outage.

“If you don’t need to travel tonight, please stay off the roads and stay inside.”

— Daniel Lurie, San Francisco Mayor

Emergency management officials also urged residents to avoid using gas stoves, grills, and generators indoors due to increased risk of carbon monoxide exposure during power outages. The city instructed people to keep refrigerators and freezers closed to preserve food safety and to turn off major appliances to prevent electrical surges when power was restored. Emergency calls through 911 were reserved for life-threatening situations rather than power-related reports.

What Happens Next as Power Restoration Continues?

As power restoration progresses through early Sunday morning, San Francisco residents and businesses face the question of how quickly normal operations will fully resume. PG&E stated that crews had stabilized the grid and were not expecting additional customer outages, but the investigation into the root cause of the massive blackout continues.

Patrick Graham

Patrick Graham is a business and finance journalist translating Wall Street’s complexities into stories that matter to everyday readers. With extensive experience in financial journalism and economic analysis, this expert journalist provides sharp insights on market trends, corporate developments, and the economic forces affecting daily life. His reporting helps readers make sense of the business world’s biggest moves.