There has been significant news regarding PG&E’s planned Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) in response to wildfire danger. Rest assured that Truckee Donner Public Utility District (TDPUD) customers will not be impacted. TDPUD gets power from NV Energy and NV Energy has a program in place to de-energize transmission to the greater Truckee area in extreme fire danger. There is no plan at this time for a power outage. That being said, if you are one of the 43,217 customers in Nevada County or one of the 51,641 PG&E customers in Placer County, you could endure a shutoff.
Public Safety Power Shutoff Explained
The video and content below was provided by PG&E
Public Safety Power Shutoff, or PSPS, is a precautionary safety measure implemented after the 2017 and 2018 wildfires that may proactively turn off power lines when extreme fire danger conditions are forecasted using our network of weather stations.
While communities in high fire-threat areas are the most likely to be affected, all PG&E customers should be prepared for possible public safety power outages. PG&E will only turn off the power after they carefully review a combination of important criteria.
The factors they consider include:
- A Red Flag Warning declared by the National Weather Service
- Forecasts of strong winds generally above 25 mph and wind gusts in excess of approximately 45 mph, depending on location and site-specific conditions such as temperature, terrain and local climate
- Low humidity levels, generally 20 percent and below
- Critically dry vegetation that could fuel a wildfire
- And on-the-ground, real-time observations from PG&E field crews
If a public safety power shutoff is expected to affect your neighborhood, PG&E will send safety alerts at different intervals before turning off the power. Because extreme weather threats can change rapidly, their goal is to provide notice through phone calls, emails and text messages to customers 48 hours in advance, again at 24 hours and again just prior to turning off power for safety. Updates will also be shared through social media, local news, radio and pge.com until the time power is restored.
PG&E will do additional outreach to customers enrolled in its Medical Baseline program, as conditions allow. To make sure PG&E has your latest contact information, please visit pge.com/mywildfirealerts. If PG&E temporarily turns off power for safety in your community, customers should be prepared for multiple days of power outages, depending on weather conditions and if equipment repairs are needed.
In order to keep everyone safe, PG&E crews will inspect the power lines and equipment by vehicle, foot and air, looking for any potential damage, and will turn the power back on once inspections are complete and the lines are safe to operate.
Emergency Preparedness
We advise residents to think in advance about your family’s needs, and how you might be impacted in the event of a public safety power shutoff, or for any emergency.
- Do you have a personal safety plan for all members of your family, including pets?
- Do you have a ready-to-go bag in case you have to leave your home for an extended period of time, which includes non-perishable food, 1 gallon of water per person per day, medications, flashlights and batteries?
- Do you have multiple evacuation routes planned?
- If you own a generator, is it ready to operate safely?
- Do you know how to open your garage door manually?
- Do you have cash on hand and a full tank of gas, in the event ATMs and gas stations are unavailable?
- Are your mobile phones fully charged?
It is important that our customers make a plan to keep themselves safe during wildfire season.
To learn more about Public Safety Power Shutoff or for tips to better prepare you for an outage, visit
pge.com/wildfiresafety.
Truckee donner Public Utility District Customers can stay up-to-date here.
