San Francisco Blackout: What You Need to Know
San Francisco was plunged into darkness this weekend with a massive power outage that lasted from December 20th to 22nd, 2025, wreaking havoc during the busy holiday shopping season.
Driverless Waymo and other autonomous electric vehicles (EVs) stopped dead in the street, causing huge traffic jams all over the city.
The BART had to shut down several stations including Powell Street and Civic Center and the Muni was severely disrupted.
As of Sunday, December 21, power was restored to much of the city, but an estimated 17,000 customers remain without electricity.
What led to this power outage in the first place?
(Source: SFGate)
What Caused the December 2025 San Francisco Blackout?
The first reports of blackouts on December 20, 2025 began around 9:45 am.
Around 2 pm, a fire broke out at the Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) electrical substation at 8th and Mission Streets in SoMa and the situation escalated quickly.
Grid infrastructure damage was significant and engineering crews worked through the night for several days trying to repair the substation.
At the peak of the outage, approximately 130,000 PG&E customers were left without power — about 30% of SF's total population.
What Are the Impacts of the San Francisco Power Outage?
On Saturday December 20, Mayor Daniel Lurie advised people to stay home due to potentially hazardous conditions, including traffic lights being out at intersections over wide swathes of the city.
At first the blackouts primarily affected Sunset and Richmond, Golden Gate Park, and the Presidio.
Some internet service providers (ISPs) in the Bay Area also went dark, including Monkey Brains.
For many brick-and-mortar retail business owners, the blackout will likely end up being an extremely costly event, as the weekend before Christmas is traditionally one of the biggest shopping periods of the year.
CBS News spoke to Spiros Johnson, owner of the 25th and Clement Market, who said the extended outage "wiped out thousands of dollars in perishable inventory."
Johnson said, "This morning, we had to just get rid of everything, chicken, meat, fish. It's not only the loss of the meat. But it's the loss of revenue. And this is one of our busiest weekends just before the Christmas holiday."
As of Sunday evening, around 17,000 customers remain without power, primarily in the Presidio and Richmond.
PG&E has set up an ad-hoc community resource center at 251 18th Avenue for people still impacted by the blackout to charge devices and gain access to snacks, WiFi, and heat.
Confirmed hours for the center are 5pm to Midnight on Sunday December 21 and 8am to 10pm on Monday, although PG&E "expect to restore all remaining customers impacted by the substation outage by no later than 2 p.m. Monday."
Additional outages have been reported in the East Bay but are not as widespread as in SoMa.
San Francisco Blackout Shuts Down Waymo
Widespread power outages and snarled traffic have often gone hand-in-hand, but SF's increasing reliance on autonomous vehicles like Waymos made getting around the Bay Area during the blackout far worse.
According to the New York Times, the power outage "knocked out Waymo service, with the ubiquitous self-driving cars coming to a halt at darkened traffic signals, blocking traffic and angering drivers of regular vehicles that became stuck as a result."
Waymo's ride hailing service was taken offline in the Bay Area, although the service has now resumed.
Elon Musk took the opportunity to post on X that "Tesla Robotaxis were unaffected by the SF power outage."
Immediate Steps to Take During the San Francisco Blackout
Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors shut as much as possible. An unopened fridge can keep food cold for about four hours, while a full freezer can maintain its temperature for up to 48 hours.
Unplug sensitive electronics and major appliances (like televisions, computers, and microwaves). This protects them from potential damage caused by power surges or circuit overloads when the electricity comes back online.
Leave one low-wattage lamp or light switch in the "on" position. This serves as a visual cue to let you know immediately when service has been restored.
Keep flashlights, battery-powered lanterns, and a stash of fresh batteries in an easily accessible location so you aren't stumbling in the dark. Avoid using candles, which pose a significant fire risk.
Familiarize yourself with the manual release cord on your automatic garage door opener before an emergency happens, ensuring you can still get your vehicle out if the power fails.
Never run a portable gas generator inside your home or garage. They should be operated exclusively outdoors and positioned well away from windows and vents to prevent deadly carbon monoxide poisoning. Portable power stations and solar generators are safe for indoor use.
Assume any downed power line is live and extremely dangerous. Stay far back, call 911 immediately to secure the area, and then report the specific location to PG&E at 1-800-743-5002.
Check in on neighbors who may be vulnerable, particularly the elderly, those with mobility issues, or families with young children, to ensure they are safe and have what they need.
If you or a family member relies on life-support equipment or medication that must be refrigerated, ensure you have a robust backup plan in place. Power stations and solar generators can provide hours of reliable backup power for essential home and medical appliances.
Resources Cited
CBS News. "San Francisco Market Owner Says Outage 'Wiped Out Thousands of Dollars in Perishable Inventory'." CBS News Bay Area, December 21, 2025.
Musk, Elon (@elonmusk). "Tesla Robotaxis were unaffected by the SF power outage." X, December 21, 2025.
New York Times, The. "Power Outage Knocks Out Waymo Service in San Francisco." The New York Times, December 21, 2025.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company. "Update: Community Resource Center Opened for San Francisco Customers; Restoration Timeline." PG&E Currents, December 21, 2025.
SFGATE. "What Caused the December 2025 San Francisco Blackout?" SFGATE, December 20, 2025.