PG&E Prepares Power Shutoffs Across 10 Counties Amid High Wind Risks

The utility has activated its Emergency Operations Center to manage the incoming weather event, which is expected to impact specific zones in counties including Marin, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo. While local conditions in some neighborhoods may appear calm, the company maintains that power lines often traverse high-risk terrain where wind speeds and humidity levels pose a significant threat. Notifications to affected residents began Tuesday, prioritizing direct communication before public disclosures in accordance with California Public Utilities Commission requirements.

This cycle of outages highlights the utility's ongoing reliance on proactive shutoffs as a last resort. Officials point to a May 2026 simulation suggesting that similar measures prevented potential wildfires from consuming up to 270,000 acres. While the scope of the current event remains subject to real-time weather shifts, the company notes that infrastructure improvements have drastically reduced the number of affected customers compared to previous years, falling from over 2 million in 2019 to approximately 18,000 for the entirety of 2025.