San Francisco power outage continues for thousands still in the dark
- - San Francisco power outage continues for thousands still in the dark
Melina Khan, USA TODAY December 22, 2025 at 8:59 PM
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Crews are still working to restore power to thousands of San Francisco residents nearly two days after a fire caused a widespread blackout across the city.
About 10,000 residents remain without power as of 4 a.m. local time, or 7 a.m. EST, on Dec. 22, according to Pacific Gas & Electric's outage tracker. Similarly, USA TODAY's outage tracker has about 11,000 customers without power as of 7 a.m. EST.
PG&E said it expects all service to be restored by 2 p.m. local time on Dec. 22. The majority of remaining outages are in the Richmond and Golden Gate Park areas.
At its peak, the outage affected about 130,000 PG&E customers after a fire at a PG&E electric facility on Dec. 20, officials said.
1 / 6Fire at PG&E substation plunges San Francisco into darknessPeople observe an area affected by a blackout that hit about 130,000 residents, according to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, in San Francisco, Calif. on Dec. 21, 2025.Fire at PG&E facility believed to have caused outage
The San Francisco Fire Department said it responded to a fire at a PG&E electric facility, known as a substation, at 8th St. and Mission St. on Dec. 20.
PG&E said the outage was first reported around 10 a.m. local time on Dec. 20, and it became "significant" by 1 p.m. local time.
"The damage from the fire in our substation was significant and extensive and the repairs and safe restoration will be complex," the company said, adding that no one was injured in the fire.
A person walks in the dark during a blackout that affected about 130,000 residents, according to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, in San Francisco, Calif. on Dec. 21, 2025.
Longtime San Franciscans may be having déjà vu; the same PG&E substation has apparently caused a major outage before.
In a post on X, San Francisco Supervisor Matt Dorsey said that the same PG&E substation was involved in another major outage in 2003, when a fire at the facility also plunged the city into darkness the Saturday before Christmas.
"We recognize the impact of the outage, and we apologize for the disruption and frustration this has caused, especially during the holiday season," PG&E also said on its website.
More news: Christmas forecast warns of an onslaught of rain, snow on West Coast
Rec center open for residents without power
The Richmond Rec Center at 251 18th Ave. has been opened as a resource center for residents affected by the outage or those who simply want to charge their phone, Mayor Daniel Lurie said.
After being open until midnight on Dec. 21, the center will reopen at 9 a.m. local time on Dec. 22, Lurie said.
Lurie said workers at the center are "distributing supplies and resources for residents who need support."
Waymo service restored after outage
Waymo vehicles appeared to be impacted by the power outage, according to social media videos.
Locals shared videos of the self-driving cars stopped in intersections, causing traffic jams throughout the city.
While service was temporarily interrupted, Waymo said in a statement sent to USA TODAY that the service returned late Dec. 21.
"While the failure of the utility infrastructure was significant, we are committed to ensuring our technology adjusts to traffic flow during such events," said Suzanne Philion, a Waymo spokesperson. "We are focused on rapidly integrating the lessons learned from this event."
Contributing: James Powel, USA TODAY
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: San Francisco power outage latest. See the status of Waymo, blackout.
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