Electricity was gradually restored across San Francisco Saturday night after a massive power outage left nearly 130,000 customers — about 30% of the city — without electricity, according to PG&E.
By late evening, PG&E reported significant progress. Around 8:50 p.m., roughly 95,000 customers were still without power. Less than an hour later, officials said about 70% of affected customers had electricity restored, with additional restoration expected overnight.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie confirmed the progress in a late-night update, urging residents to remain cautious as crews continued repair work. PG&E said more power restoration was expected around midnight.
The outage began earlier Saturday morning, first impacting the Inner Sunset neighborhood before spreading rapidly to the Richmond District, Presidio, Golden Gate Park, Civic Center, and large portions of downtown. Additional neighborhoods, including the Mission District, Western Addition, Tenderloin, and areas near the Chase Center, were later affected.
City officials warned residents not to call 911 to report outages unless there was an immediate life-safety emergency, as emergency services were stretched thin. With many traffic lights offline, residents were also urged to stay off the roads if possible.
Officials said the outage was traced to a PG&E substation near 8th and Mission Streets in the South of Market neighborhood, where the San Francisco Fire Department responded to a reported fire Saturday afternoon. PG&E is still investigating the cause.
Supervisors expressed frustration over the timing of the outage, which struck on one of the busiest shopping days of the year and coincided with major events across the city, including sports games and performances.
The blackout disrupted public transportation, forcing temporary closures of BART stations and suspending some rail service. Muni Metro and Central Subway trains were also impacted, with shuttle service deployed in several areas. Transit officials said most services were restored by late evening.
Businesses throughout downtown were forced to close, internet service was interrupted for some residents, and autonomous ride-hailing service Waymo paused operations in the city. The outage also led to the cancellation of performances, including a matinee show at the Orpheum Theatre.
PG&E said crews will continue working overnight as the company works to restore power to the remaining customers and determine what caused the failure.