PG&E will shut off power in SLO County during heat wave. What to know
Some parts of San Luis Obispo County are scheduled to lose power today and tomorrow as hot and dry weather conditions increase the risk of wildfires this week.
The SLO County Office of Emergency Services announced in a Facebook post on Wednesday morning that PG&E’s Public Safety Power Shutoff watch, announced Tuesday, was upgraded to a warning — meaning power shutoffs will be required in some areas of the county.
The outages are slated to begin between noon and 2 p.m. on Wednesday and could continue through Thursday.
PG&E also modified the scope of the planned outages, which is slated to center around Lake Nacimiento. The outage now will not affect most of the Heritage Ranch area, the Emergency Services Office said.
SLO County was one of six California counties placed under a power shutoff warning on Wednesday due to “high winds and dry conditions” that increase fire risk, according to PG&E’s 7-day Public Safety Power Shutoff forecast.
The planned shutoff comes amid a heat advisory from a “heat dome” predicted to bring up-to-triple-digit temperatures to SLO County.
The dry and warm weather has caused below-normal moisture content in dead fuel this year and steadily declining moisture content in live brush, with the “lowest values currently found along the Central Coast,” the forecast said.
In addition to the heat and dry fuel, northerly winds of 20 to 30 mph near Santa Barbara with gusts up to 55 mph are expected on Wednesday night, according to the forecast.
“Combined with low relative humidity values, these breezy winds will bring increased fire danger to pockets of the territory,” the forecast said. “Onshore winds will still be breezy Thursday afternoon, but they are expected to be lighter overall, and wind will continue to trend weaker on Friday.”
The Office of Emergency Services encouraged SLO County residents to check PG&E’s outage website to see if their address is among those scheduled to be affected by the public service power shutoffs on Wednesday and Thursday.
Where to cool down amid high temperatures, power shutoffs
For those affected by the planned outages, PG&E established a resource center at Cuesta College’s North County campus on Wednesday between 11:30 a.m. and 10 p.m, located at 2800 Buena Vista Drive in Paso Robles.
Resources available included blankets, snacks, water, ice and charging stations for phones and small medical devices, PG&E’s website said.
Air conditioning and heating would also be provided, in addition to restrooms, seating and internet access.
Additionally, the city of Paso Robles in a news release on Wednesday encouraged residents needing a place to cool off to visit the public library or senior center, both of which would remain open during regular hours during the heat wave.
“The weather is not expected to trigger an Adverse Weather Event which entails activation of special services, such as extended facility hours with trained on-site staff and other resources,” the city said. “The city remains prepared to activate cooling centers should weather conditions change or forecasts indicate the need for additional heat-related resources.”
This story was originally published July 15, 2026 at 10:01 AM.
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