Thousands of residents of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara County are experiencing prolonged power outages as Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE) implement Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) to reduce wildfire risks. The outages began on Wednesday and are expected to last through Saturday. The PSPS events aim to prevent electrical equipment from sparking wildfires during windy and dry weather conditions.
Highlights
- As of Friday morning, thousands of PG&E and SCE customers in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara County remain without power.
- These shutoffs are aimed at reducing wildfire risks across the two counties.
- Power has been restored in most areas, but some residents may not see service return until late Saturday.
Public Safety Power Shutoff for Wildfire Prevention
As per PG&E’s outage map, several circuits within SLO County have been shut off. The shutoff was announced after the San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services posted a countywide advisory on its official X account about four hours before the outages began.
PG&E has upgraded the PSPS Watch to a PSPS Warning. This occurs 1 to 4 hours before the de-energization of power begins. Residents affected who are signed up for alerts from PG&E should have been directly notified by them already. Or check your address: https://t.co/byfQHpSUVzpic.twitter.com/Nz0IUrL6ms
— SLO County OES (@slocountyoes) June 19, 2025…