PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS)

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ALERT: PG&E has moved into a PSPS Watch status for much of Northern California. As of today, October 23, 2020 at noon, the County of Santa Clara is “in scope” and will likely experience power shutoffs. The projected PSPS does not currently significantly impact the City of Cupertino (<10 customers projected); however, the situation may change over the next few days. The expected PSPS timing begins in the evening of Sunday, October 25 and extends through at least Thursday, October 29.

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Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has announced that it will shut down transmission lines on days with a high risk of wildfire as part of its Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) program. Customers are advised to prepare for outages that could last more than 48 hours. Outages could impact any PG&E customer regardless of whether they live in a high fire-threat area. Check the link above and follow the tips below to receive the most up to date information from PG&E. (This is not a City of Cupertino program and this webpage may not contain the most recent information.)

PG&E has stated that it intends to provide customers with 48 hours advanced notice via phone call, text, or email. However, weather conditions can change quickly, and PG&E may unable to fully execute their noticing protocols. After the extreme weather event has passed, PG&E will conduct inspections and any necessary repairs before power can be restored.

When Will a Shutoff Occur?

PG&E determines the shutoff in coordination with the National Weather Service to reduce the risk of PG&E lines staring a fire. Criteria is:

Temperatures over 80 degrees
Humidity less than 20% and poor overnight recovery from heat
Winds over 25 mph

PG&E will send an email to all registered customers 48 hours before a planned shutoff and again 24 hours before shutoff. Shutoff involves turning off a transmission line. Transmission lines will shut down the area with a high fire danger and likely the surrounding communities. You may wish to consider following the company's Twitter and Facebook pages.

Weather Awareness

Preparing for a PSPS

Be sure to prepare for a PSPS event:

Plan for medical needs, like devices that use batteries/require power or medications that need to be refrigerated
Prepare backup charging methods for phones or other devices
Keep hard copies of emergency numbers
Create or restock a home emergency kit that includes fresh batteries, flashlights, cash, and first aid supplies
Know how to manually open your garage door
Plan for the needs of your pets
Ensure backup generators are ready and safe to use

For additional wildfire and emergency preparedness tips, visit www.sccfd.org/rsg

Updating Your Contact Information

Medical Baseline Customers

Through PG&E's Medical Baseline Program, customers who have special energy needs due to qualifying medical conditions can receive extra notifications in advance of a PSPS and also receive a lower rate on their monthly energy bill.

To enroll in the Medical Baseline Program, customers must complete an application that includes fields that must be completed by their doctor. The application is available on the PG&E website.