There is no current power shutoff affecting Stanford 

As we advance into wildfire season, you may have heard of Pacific Gas and Electric’s (PG&E) efforts to prevent wildfires by implementing something called a ‘Public Safety Power Shutoff’ or a PSPS. When weather conditions are dry, high winds are present, or a heightened fire risk is forecasted, PG&E may turn off parts of the energy grid in specific areas. PG&E will then inspect the safety and integrity of its transmission lines before power can be safely restored. Should power be disrupted, the outage could last for several days.  

PG&E has said it will attempt to provide 72 hours’ notice to residents of the specific areas that could be subject to a shutoff, though this may not be possible if conditions deteriorate rapidly. PG&E alerts organizations and individuals about a potential shutoff, or a shutoff actively being implemented, using multiple avenues, including:

• Potential PSPS Outage Map
• PSPS Current Impact Information Page
• Text message, email, and phone call alerts

If a PSPS ever becomes an issue that directly impacts Stanford, notification and additional information will be provided to the university community through AlertSU messages and the emergency.stanford.edu website. 

At this time there is no power shutoff affecting Stanford’s main campus or Stanford Redwood City, nor has there been a PG&E notification that our campuses are expected to be affected by a shutoff in the near future.  If you are a researcher or work in a lab environment and have questions about how to prepare for a PSPS, please click here to learn more from our ‘Power Outage PREP’ guide.