Two recent fires at PG&E substations cut power to thousands, drew condemnation from members of Congress, and spotlighted a year full of safety and maintenance violations at the utility giant’s substations throughout the region, from oil leaks to broken cooling fans and birds’ nests in equipment.
A substation fire Dec. 20 in San Francisco knocked out power to more than 100,000 customers — some for more than two days — paralyzed many Waymo robotaxis, and elicited a promise from the utility’s new CEO to provide $50 million in compensation to those affected.
On Dec. 24, flames erupted at a PG&E substation in Saratoga, leading to a power outage affecting 16,500 customers…