**Excerpt:** A significant power outage in San Francisco left more than 130,000 customers without electricity, impacting various neighborhoods and transportation services.
Key Points
– Over 130,000 customers lost power due to a major outage in San Francisco.
– The outage began on Saturday morning, affecting neighborhoods including The Presidio and Downtown.
– PG&E reported that around 21,000 customers remained without power by Sunday morning.
– A fire at a PG&E substation caused “significant and extensive” damage, contributing to the outage.
– Local transit services, including BART and Muni, experienced disruptions but are gradually resuming.
Overview of the Outage
On December 20, 2025, a widespread power outage occurred in San Francisco, impacting over 130,000 customers across the city. The outage was particularly severe, with nearly a third of the city left without electricity at its peak.
Cause and Impact
Initial Outage
The outage commenced around 9:40 a.m. on Saturday. By approximately 3 p.m., PG&E reported that about 30% of San Francisco was affected. The utility’s outage map indicated multiple neighborhoods, including The Presidio, Seacliff, Outer and Inner Richmond, and parts of Downtown, as being impacted.
Restoration Efforts
By late Saturday, power had been restored to around 100,000 customers. However, as of Sunday morning, approximately 21,000 customers still faced outages. PG&E indicated that repairs were ongoing, particularly at a substation that had suffered significant damage from a fire.
Emergency Response
The San Francisco Fire Department responded to the fire at the PG&E substation located at 8th and Mission streets. Fire crews worked to extinguish the flames while managing the power situation. PG&E has yet to disclose the cause of the outages.
Transportation Disruptions
Local transit services were also affected. BART closed its Powell Street and Civic Center stations, while Muni trains were unable to access Muni Metro and the Central Subway. By 9 p.m. on Saturday, BART stations began reopening, and Muni services were gradually resuming, although lingering effects from the outage were expected.
Safety Measures
Mayor Daniel Lurie urged residents to remain indoors if possible and assured that additional safety officers would be present at busy intersections. The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management advised drivers to treat traffic lights as four-way stops until power was fully restored.
Conclusion
As power restoration efforts continue, PG&E is working to address the remaining outages and assess the damage caused by the fire at the substation. Residents and local agencies remain on alert for any further developments related to the incident.
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