Major San Francisco Power Outage Leaves 130,000 Without ElectricityDecember 21, 2025
A widespread power outage struck San Francisco on Saturday, leaving approximately 130,000 residents and businesses without electricity. The blackout, which began in the Richmond and Presidio neighborhoods, quickly spread toward areas near Golden Gate Park, disrupting homes, shops, and critical transit routes.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) reported that the outage affected nearly one-third of its city customers. A fire at a PG&E substation near 8th and Mission streets shortly before 3 p.m. contributed to the blackout. Fire crews extinguished the blaze, but damage to the grid caused ongoing power instability. PG&E crews continued inspections into the evening, though full restoration timelines were not immediately available.
The outage caused widespread disruption. Streets went dark, traffic signals failed, Muni bus routes were rerouted, and some BART stations bypassed service. Residents faced cold homes, closed stores, and lost access to digital services, including internet and mobile networks strained by the high demand. City emergency managers urged people to stay home and treat dark traffic signals as four-way stops.
The event highlighted vulnerabilities in San Francisco’s aging energy infrastructure. Substations in dense urban areas remain difficult to upgrade, and repair work can take longer due to older equipment. City leaders promised ongoing updates as PG&E assessed the damage and worked to stabilize the grid.
