Large parts of San Francisco were left without electricity on Saturday after multiple unplanned outages impacted more than 40,000 customers, disrupting homes, businesses, and traffic safety across the city.
According to Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), the outages began in the morning and continued into the afternoon, primarily affecting west and central San Francisco. The utility did not immediately disclose the cause.
There is a large power outage affecting parts of San Francisco, including Richmond, Sunset, Presidio, and Golden Gate Park. For more information from PG&E, including outage area and estimated restoration times, visit: https://t.co/DthlRd2zLd pic.twitter.com/na9hgJlWES
— San Francisco Department of Emergency Management (@SF_emergency) December 20, 2025
Timeline of the San Francisco Power Outages
PG&E said the first major outage was reported around 9:40 a.m., cutting power to more than 14,600 residential and commercial customers from the Inner Sunset down to Forest Hill.
About 30 minutes later, a second outage began around 10:10 a.m., impacting the Presidio, the Richmond District, and parts of Market Street. That outage affected more than 24,800 customers.
Together, the two incidents left over 40,000 customers without power at different points during the day.
Which Areas Lost Power?
PG&E’s outage map showed widespread disruptions across west San Francisco, with the hardest-hit areas including:
- Presidio and Seacliff
- Inner and Outer Richmond
- Golden Gate Park and the Panhandle
- Inner and Outer Sunset
- West of Twin Peaks
Sections of the Western Addition and Downtown San Francisco were also affected. In addition to the two major outages, several smaller incidents left hundreds more customers without electricity.
When Will Power Be Restored?
As of Saturday afternoon, PG&E reported that about 25,000 customers were still without power. The utility estimated that electricity would be restored between 3:30 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. for most affected areas.
For smaller outages, PG&E said power could return later in the evening, between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Crews remained on site, though the utility did not provide details on the cause of the outages.
Traffic Safety Concerns
The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management warned that the outages could impact traffic signals across the city. Officials reminded drivers that intersections with dark traffic lights should be treated as four-way stops.
By mid-afternoon, no injuries or major incidents related to the outages had been reported. Authorities said updates would continue as restoration work progressed.
