PG&E schedules public safety power shutoff for parts of SLO County. Here’s where and when
San Luis Obispo County residents may experience a public safety power shutoff this weekend depending on where they live.
According to a post on X from the San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services, PG&E is forecasting a public safety power shutoff for several areas of eastern San Luis Obispo County between 8 a.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday.
While the specific number of customers that may be effected by the power shutoff was not available on the PG&E website, effected locations include the area along Highway 166 between Twitchell Reservoir and the Carrizo Plain National Monument and the area east of Santa Margarita Lake and the Salinas River.
According to the Office of Emergency Services website, public safety power shutoffs are only declared in the event of severe weather such as high wildfire risk.
PG&E communications representative Neil Hebert said the shutoff could effect 128 customers in San Luis Obispo County and 261 customers in Santa Barbara County, with a total of 32,000 customers effected across the company’s service area.
According to the PG&E public safety power shutoff rules provided by Hebert, shutoffs are planned if the fire-weather forecast is severe enough that people’s safety, lives, homes and businesses may be in danger from wildfires. Those conditions include:
- Low humidity levels, generally 30% and below.
- A forecast of high winds, particularly sustained winds above 19 miles per hour and wind gusts above 30-40 miles per hour.
- Condition of dry material on the ground and low moisture content of vegetation.
On Friday, the National Weather Service is forecasting temperatures of just 67 degrees, but with winds gusting as high as 30 mph, the area fits the criteria of high winds during high fire risk.
