PG&E explains outage that left thousands in the dark in Monterey on Sunday
MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) -- PG&E is explaining a large outage that impacted thousands of customers in the Monterey area on Sunday.
According to PG&E, there's multiple factors at play that led to the outage.
PG&E said the portion of Monterey that lost power is currently on a circuit which is enrolled in the company's Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS) system. This system shuts off power if it detects a potential fire danger in order to prevent wildfires.
This portion of Monterey is not typically considered an area prone to wildfires.
PG&E said that portion of Monterey is on that specific circuit at this time because they're upgrading a substation the area typically receives power service from.
PG&E said once the substation upgrades are complete, that portion of Monterey would be placed back in service with that substation and removed from the circuit that's under the EPSS system. From there that portion of Monterey would be less impacted by an EPSS-enabled circuit.
PG&E said most of the work is done on the substation but they're waiting on additional parts to come in before finalizing the project.
There's no ETA from PG&E a this time as to when the project will be done.
Power was out again in a portion of Monterey on Tuesday, but PG&E said they're still trying to determine the cause of Tuesday's outage.
Tuesday's outage prompted a post on "X" from the City of Monterey, with the account voicing frustration:
What the heck is going on @PGE4Me ?
— City of Monterey (@CityofMonterey) September 24, 2024
Another unexplained power outage? Very frustrating for residents and businesses. BTW: still waiting to hear from @PGE4Me about the other power outage less than 48 hrs ago. pic.twitter.com/yszgl27O3d
We've reached out to the City of Monterey for a response to PG&E's explanation of Sunday's outage.
More than 5,000 without power near Monterey
PG&E crews are working to restore power for parts of Monterey after an outage was reported Sunday evening.
According to PG&E, over 5,000 customers are without power.
The impacted area spans from Old Monterey to the Monterey Regional Airport. Customers in La Mesa Village and the outskirts of Carmel have also reported a loss of services.
PG&E is actively investigating the outage and working to assess the situation.
Power is expected to be restored by 9:45 p.m. according to PG&E.
