Update: PG&E Crews Make Progress On Massive Power Outage Along Highway 108 And 120
View VideoUpdate at 3:50 p.m.: PG&E crews are making progress on a massive power outage that hit the Mother Lode this morning. At the height of the outage, just over 29,000 customers in three counties (Stanislaus, Calaveras and Tuolumne) were without electricity that number has dipped to around 22,000. The remaining outages are in Tuolumne County stretching along Highway 108 from Sonora all the way past Strawberry. Impacted customers are in Sonora, East Sonora, Columbia, Tuolumne, Soulsbyvile, Twain Harte, Mi-Wuk Village, Long Barn, and the Strawberry area.
Earlier PG&E spokesperson Megan McFarland relayed that at around 11:15 a.m. today the transmission line that serves Tuolumne County went out of service, affecting 29,064 customers. The cause of the outage is still under investigation. McFarland relays that in the meantime, the utility is working to restore power to as many customers as it can through switching. The utility has given a restoration time for the remaining customers of around 6 p.m. However, McFarland notes outages could last into the evening and even overnight.
Update at 12:53 p.m.: After inquiries from Clarke Broadcasting to PG&E regarding the massive outage, spokesperson Megan McFarland relays that around 11:15 am today the transmission line that serves Tuolumne County went out of service, impacting 29,064 customers. She adds that crews have arrived on the scene and are working to assess the damage and make repairs. The cause of the outage is still under investigation. McFarland relays that in the meantime, the utility is working to restore power to as many customers as it can through switching.
PG&E provided this update on the impacted customers:
- Columbia – 492
- Groveland – 4,094
- Jamestown – 2,941
- Long Barn – 673
- Mi Wuk Village – 1,645
- Pinecrest – 706
- Sonora – 12,202
- Soulsbyville – 819
- Strawberry – 163
- Tuolumne – 2,011
- Twain Harte – 3,318
Total – 29,064
McFarland stresses, “We hope to have all customers restored by this evening however, some customers may be without power through the night.”
Of note, several intersection lights in the Sonora and East Sonora area are not working.
Update at 12:15 p.m.: PG&E is now reporting that nearly 27,000 customers are without power stretching from Knights Ferry to above Pinecrest along Highway 108 and 120 in the Mother Lode.
The largest outage is impacting over 16,000 customers and spreads past Columbia to the Buck Meadows area. It includes Copperopolise, Jamestown, Sonora, East Sonora, Phoenix Lake, Twain Harte, and the Groveland area. The restoration time for most customers is 2:45 p.m., but the Cold Springs, Strawberry, Pinecrest, and Bumblebee area is set for 3:15 p.m. Crews are still investigating a cause at this time. Additionally, some traffic lights in these areas are not working.
Original post at 11:45 a.m.: Sonora, CA — PG&E is reporting that thousands of customers in the Mother Lode are without power stretching from Copperopolis to past Pinecrest to Bumblebee, with most of the outages along Highway 108.
There are over 2,500 customers without lights in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties. The largest outages are in Copperopolis with 623, Twain Harte has 613, and Cold Springs with 688. There are also 147 customers in the Groveland area without electricity. The utility does not give a reason for the outage but states that PG&E is assessing the cause. Most outages have a restoration time of 2:45 p.m. In the Copperopolis area, it is 1 p.m.
Of note, several intersection lights in the Sonora and East Sonora area are not working.
