A widespread San Francisco power outage left more than forty thousand customers without electricity Saturday morning, disrupting daily routines, public transit and traffic across large sections of the city’s west side.
The outages, reported as unplanned by Pacific Gas and Electric Co., affected residential and commercial areas from the Inner Sunset to the Presidio, according to utility and city officials.
PG&E estimated that most customers would see power restored by midafternoon, though smaller outages in other neighborhoods were expected to last into the evening.
The first outage was reported around 9:40 a.m. and knocked out electricity to just over 14,600 customers in neighborhoods stretching from the Inner Sunset to Forest Hill, PG&E said.
Roughly thirty minutes later, a second outage cut power to more than 24,800 customers across the Presidio, the Richmond District and parts of Market Street.
At 1:40 pm, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency announced that Muni trains were bypassing the Van Ness station due to the power outage. City officials warned that the loss of electricity could also affect street lighting and traffic signals.
The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management urged drivers to treat any dark traffic lights as four way stops, citing safety concerns as the outages continued.
As of 2 pm, PG&E estimated power would be restored between 3:30 pm and 3:45 pm for the two major outages.
Several smaller outages affecting a few hundred additional customers were reported in other parts of west San Francisco, with restoration times estimated between 6 pm and 9 pm. The utility did not immediately provide information on the cause of the outages.
Energy experts said large, unplanned outages in dense urban areas often involve complex electrical infrastructure and multiple substations.
“San Francisco’s grid is among the oldest in the state, and outages can cascade quickly when a key component fails,” said Dr. Lena Morales, an energy systems researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. “Even with modern safeguards, pinpointing the exact cause can take time.”
PG&E spokesperson Jason King said crews were dispatched immediately after the outages were reported and were working to safely restore service.
“Our priority is restoring power as quickly and safely as possible while ensuring the integrity of the system,” King said. “We understand the disruption this causes and appreciate the public’s patience.”
The San Francisco power outage ranks among the larger single day outages reported in the city this year. According to PG&E outage data, most unplanned incidents in San Francisco typically affect fewer than ten thousand customers at a time.
Citywide outages of this scale are more common during extreme weather events, such as heat waves or winter storms. Saturday’s outages occurred during relatively mild conditions, raising questions about equipment reliability rather than environmental stress.
State data shows that California utilities have increased grid investment over the past decade, though urban systems with underground lines can still face unexpected failures.
For residents and business owners, the outage brought sudden disruption.
“I was making breakfast when everything just shut off,” said Maria Santos, who lives in the Inner Sunset.
“No lights, no internet, and my phone signal was spotty. You don’t realize how much you depend on power until it’s gone.” In the Richmond District, shop owner Daniel Wu said he had to close his café for several hours.
“We rely on electric equipment for everything,” Wu said. “I had to send staff home and hope the power comes back before dinner time.” Transit riders also reported confusion as trains bypassed stations without advance notice.
PG&E said it would review the incident once power was fully restored to determine the cause and whether additional maintenance or upgrades are needed.
City officials said they would assess the impact on traffic safety and public transportation. Experts said the incident highlights the importance of continued investment in grid modernization and clear communication during outages.
“Even short outages can have wide ripple effects in a city like San Francisco,” Morales said. “Planning and transparency are critical to maintaining public trust.”
The San Francisco power outage disrupted daily life for tens of thousands of residents and businesses, affecting neighborhoods, transit and traffic across the city’s west side.
While power was expected to be restored by late afternoon for most customers, the cause of the outages remained under investigation.
City and utility officials said they would continue monitoring the situation and evaluate next steps once service was fully restored.
