BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — UPDATE (5:54 p.m.)
PG&E said they're contacting customers in Kern County to update them on whether are not they will be impacted by the planned power outage.
PG&E officials said the impact to Kern County customers has went from 42,000 to 4,600 in phase three of its planned safety power outage.
There is a scheduled media briefing planned for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, at that time, they will discuss its plan going forward. You can watch below:
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On Wednesday around 12 a.m., PG&E began its statewide phased shutoff of power to prevent wildfires from happening due to the severe winds in its service areas. PG&E warned many of its customers they should expect to be without power early Wednesday morning through Friday morning, as weather models show the winds may be the strongest the area has seen in nearly two years.
Local PG&E officials confirmed around 1 p.m. Wednesday that phase two has been pushed back and they don't have a status on if or when it will begin.
According to Kern County officials, phase three of PG&E's shutoff will include Kern County but PG&E has not made a decision if or when that will actually happen. If phase three is activated, county officials said as many as 42,000 customers could lose power around midnight.
UPDATE (3:19 p.m.): The Stallion Springs Community Services District issued the following statement concerning the potential for a power shutoff in the area:
Both PG&E and Southern California Edison are sending notifications to Kern County residents that there’s a higher potential for power shut-off throughout the entire Kern County area (and much of the State of California) for the next several days. Since this potential public safety power shutoff could effect a large portion of Kern County, we’re asking all residents to be prepared.Remember – fuel tank at least half full, three days of food and water for each member of your household, know your medication storage requirements, don’t forget to plan for your pets too, check on your neighbors, have a weather radio and batteries, and have a family plan that details what to do in case of emergency.
Do you have a medical device that you depend on and would immediately affect your health if you lost power? Such as a breathing machine or home dialysis equipment? You can contact Aging & Adult Services at 855-264-6565 or Community Action Partnership at 211 for assistance.
UPDATE (2:49 p.m.): McFarland Unified School District posted on their Facebook page regarding potential power outages in the district:
UPDATE (3:49 p.m.): The Kern High School District issued a statement announcing that the school system is closely monitoring the situation with the PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff:
The district said it has received word that Stockdale High School and North High School may specifically be impacted Thursday by the power outages. District officials said as a result both schools will be on a 2-hour delayed start on Thursday. Following the delay district officials said parents will be informed by 8:00 a.m. if the power is out and school is canceled for the entire day.
"The Kern High School District is closely monitoring the potential of a Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) in Kern County due to forecasted high winds and low humidity.
We have attempted to get more specific information from PG&E, but are being told that any of our school sites could be impacted over the next 36 to 48 hours — or may not be impacted at all.
If the District and/or a school site determines it is necessary to release students for the day due to a power outage, the following will occur:
- An all-call notification will be sent to all parents
- Bus routes will be activated
- Nutrition services will provide a cold lunch for students who are on campus if the outage occurs during the lunch period"
UPDATE: (12:04 p.m.): Senator Bill Dodd issued the following statement on the PG&E power shutoff:
“It’s beyond frustrating that we’re in this situation. Public safety power shutoffs have a role to play when they’re needed to prevent massive wildfires and the huge human and economic costs we’ve seen in recent years. However, many of my constituents are disturbed that the power was shut down before the winds started to pick up in the North Bay.For years PG&E has done a poor job on maintenance and tree clearing, and they’re still not even close to where they need to be. That fact, along with breakdowns in communication, are unacceptable. Sadly, poor performance by PG&E is par for the course, so it’s not surprising.”
UPDATE (11:52 a.m.): The Arvin Union School District posted to Facebook that the school system is prepared in case of any potential power outages:
UPDATE (11:48 a.m.): The Panama-Buena Vista School District issued the following statement regarding the PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff and how it may affect the school district:
SoCal Edison Power Outages:
UPDATE (12:58 P.M.): SCE officials have confirmed with 23ABC that they have set up a community center at the Kern Valley Senior Center at 6405 Lake Isabella Blvd. It will be open until 6 p.m. Wednesday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday. The center will be open no matter if the power goes out in the area or not.
Southern California Edison said it may need to cut power to roughly 142,000 of its customers because of potential wildfire danger. The potentially affected areas does include Kern County.
However, it is unknown when or if those potential power outages will occur. Click here for more info.
The Golden Empire Transit District service plan:
If potential power outages does impact the county, GET officials have released the following service plans:
- Fixed route service will operate on a Holiday schedule. Holiday schedules for all routes are indicated in the GET Bus book. Riders can also call customer service at 869-2GET (2438) for route information.
- GET-A-Lift service will provide service to those customers who are dependent on transportation for serious medical needs. Riders can call 869-6363 for more information.
- RYDE service in southwest Bakersfield will operate on a weekend schedule (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.). Customers can book a RYDE from the TransLoc app or by calling 869-6380.
Safety And Preparedness Tips:
To prepare for these outages, PG&E said to start charging anything you might need such as phones, laptops, etc.
You also should make sure you have batteries and that your smoke and fire alarms are working. Click here for more safety tips you can use if your power goes out.
County officials also said that utility companies will notify customers directly if they'll be impacted so it is best to make sure your contact information is updated.
Governor Gavin Newsom's Statement on outages:
On Wednesday morning around 11 a.m. Governor Newsom tweeted a statement regarding the utility power outages. He said his office is actively working to provide support to the communities impacted by the outages.
(2/4) "While the frustration that Californians feel as they deal with the impacts of these power outages is warranted, the purpose of utilities across our state conducting PSPS is to protect communities against the real threat of wildfires due to existing weather conditions."
— Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) October 9, 2019
(3/4) "Our first priority is to protect people and to ensure that communities are safe. My office is working closely with state and local law enforcement and community leaders to keep residents safe and provide support within affected communities."
— Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) October 9, 2019