PG&E will begin another round of intentional power outages that will reach the North Bay this afternoon and the Peninsula by early Thursday.
The first wave of cuts will reach the Sierra foothills by 2 p.m., utility officials said Wednesday morning. That will be followed by the North Bay hills around 3 p.m. and parts of San Mateo County by 1 a.m. Thursday.
In all, 179,000 customers —or about 450,000 people — dispersed across 17 counties could endure the loss of power while the threat of wildfires remains high from elevated temperatures, strong winds and dry conditions.
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The forecast next week has raised the possibility of additional public safety power shutoffs, PG&E CEO Bill Johnson said.
He reassured customers that they'd likely see power restored this week before any interference from next week's potential outage.
"It depends on the timing of the events here," Johnson said, adding that safety is paramount.