The County of Mendocino is currently monitoring the scope of two Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events in Mendocino County. These events are very dynamic, and the County is dependent on PG&E to provide accurate, updated information that can be shared with the public.

On October 28, 2019 at 6:00 AM, PG&E announced that the areas within the scope of the PSPS event for Mendocino County are “all clear” of the weather event and PG&E staff has started line inspections for re-energization.

PG&E is working to have power restored in portions of Mendocino County. PG&E is working on finalizing restoration timelines specific to Mendocino County.  Restoration will only occur during daytime hours and may take 48 hours or more after the “all clear.”

October 29 Event

PG&E is planning to initiate a PSPS event in portions of Mendocino County tomorrow, Tuesday, October, 29, 2019.  PG&E does not have a confirmed listed of affected communities, but have stated the footprint will be slightly smaller than the October 26 event. As the County receives additional information and maps from PG&E we will release updates to the public.  The weather event is estimated to conclude the morning of Wednesday, October 30.  

• Restoring power
  • Before restoring power, PG&E must inspect its equipment for damage and make any necessary repairs. That process cannot begin until the severe weather event has subsided.
  • Given the prolonged period during which the wind event will unfold, and the large number of power line miles that will need to be inspected before restoration, customers are being asked to prepare for an extended outage.
  • PG&E will work with state and local agencies to provide updated restoration timelines following the conclusion of the severe weather event.
• Inspection and Restoration
  • It’s important for all customers to have an emergency plan to be prepared for any extended outages due to extreme weather or natural disasters.
  • Each situation will be somewhat different, just like each day’s weather.
  • After the extreme weather has passed and it is safe to do so, our crews will work to visually inspect each mile of our power lines to ensure they are free from damage and safe to energize.
  • Inspections will take place during daylight hours and, in most cases, we would expect to be able to restore power within 24 to 48 hours after extreme weather has passed.
  • However, depending on weather conditions or if any repairs are needed, outages (weather event plus restoration time) could last longer than 48 hours.
  • For planning purposes, we suggest customers prepare for multiple-day outages.
  • Steps to restoration include:
    • Weather All Clear - After the extreme weather has passed and it’s safe to do so, our crews can go into the field to begin patrols and inspections.
    • Patrol and Inspect
      • Our crews will work to visually inspect our power lines to look for potential weather-related damage to the lines, poles and towers. This is done by vehicle, foot and air.
      • Visual inspections are necessary since circuit breakers, reclosing devices and fuses that are typically used to help detect any potential damage from a weather event like a winter storm are also de-energized during a Public Safety Power Shutoff for safety reasons.
    • There are many challenges we face during inspections:
      • Some locations require workers to travel on narrow access roads. In locations with no vehicle access, crews might need to hike in remote and mountainous areas to inspect equipment.
      • At night, we can’t fly helicopters for visual inspections.
    • Isolate and Repair Damaged Equipment
      • Where equipment damage is found, crews will work to isolate the damaged area from the rest of the system so other parts of the system can be restored.
      • Where equipment damage is found, crews work safely and as quickly as possible to make repairs.
    • Restoration
      • Once the poles, towers and lines are deemed safe to energize, a call is made to the PG&E Control Center to complete the energization process.
      • Power is then restored to customers.
    • Customer Notification
      • Customers are notified that power has been restored.

For more information, please contact the Executive Office at 707-234-6030. For updated County information on the public safety power shut off, please visit www.mendocinocounty.org/psps or follow the County on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mendocinocounty and twitter https://twitter.com/countymendocino.