PG&E Warns of More Shutoffs as California Fire Risk Returns — SkimNews
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- PG&E warned of more planned shutoffs Wednesday through Saturday that could affect more than two dozen counties in northern and central California, citing offshore winds and elevated fire weather across its territory.
- CAISO issued Restricted Maintenance Operations from Oct. 5 through Oct. 10 during a two-week heat wave, and peak demand hit 46,000 MW on Oct. 5 — but the ISO logged zero Flex Alerts, Energy Emergency Alert Watches, or transmission emergencies in 2026.
- SDG&E began shutoffs Oct. 2 citing extreme heat, high winds, and severe wildfire conditions, affecting 35,000 customers in its service area before issuing an all-clear on Oct. 4.
- PG&E began de-energizing targeted areas on Oct. 9 across Fresno, Kern, Kings, San Benito, and San Luis Obispo counties, affecting up to 12,200 customers across 17 counties and three tribal areas.
- PG&E restored power and issued all-clear notices Oct. 10, then announced a new round of targeted shutoffs the following day in Colusa, Glenn, Shasta, Tehama, and Yolo counties.
- The National Weather Service Los Angeles on Oct. 1 warned of a "very dangerous and long lasting heat wave" beginning Oct. 2 — SDG&E told customers prolonged heat could trigger localized unplanned outages even outside shutoff zones.
Why it matters: Even though CAISO held the grid through a 46,000 MW demand peak with zero formal emergency alerts, PG&E and SDG&E preemptively cut power to tens of thousands of customers — wildfire prevention, not grid capacity strain, is what's driving California's blackout strategy this season.
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