Today (Jan 24), PG&E issued a weather all-clear for areas impacted by the PSPS event that began on Wednesday (Jan. 22) in Kern County. The weather all-clear allows crews to begin patrols, inspect electrical equipment for damage and make any necessary repairs before safely restoring power to customers.
PG&E began proactively shutting off power for safety to approximately 600 customers in Kern County as part of a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
PG&E operations professionals shut off power on several sections of powerlines in Kern County because of a forecasted dry and gusty wind event that entered southern parts of our service area Monday and exited this afternoon.
Given the forecasted dry and gusty winds and current dry vegetation conditions, PG&E sent advanced notifications to customers — via text, email, and automated phone call — in targeted areas where power could be proactively shut off for safety to reduce wildfire risk.
In some areas Wednesday evening, wind gusts reached 49 mph. Relative humidity readings in the area were as low as five percent. Relative humidity is a key factor in calculating fire risk.
Restoration Steps:
- Weather “All-Clear”: After high winds have passed, and it is safe to do so, a weather“all-clear” is issued for our crews to begin patrols and inspect electrical equipment.
- Patrol and Inspect: Our crews visually inspect for potential weather-related damage to powerlines, poles and towers. This is done by vehicle, foot and air.
- Isolate and Repair Damage: If crews find equipment damage, they work to isolate the damaged area from the rest of the system. Other parts of the system can then be restored.
- Restore Power: Once the poles, towers and lines are safe to energize, our Control Center restores power to affected areas.
- Notify Customers: We notify customers that power has been restored.