Pacific Gas and Electric is preparing to potentially cut power to about 7,800 customers across 10 California counties as high winds, low humidity and dry vegetation raise wildfire risks.

The utility said Tuesday it is monitoring weather conditions expected to reach parts of its service area beginning Wednesday afternoon. The potential Public Safety Power Shutoff would affect portions of the North Bay, South Bay, East Bay, Salinas Valley, San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast.

PG&E has activated its Emergency Operations Center and begun notifying customers who could be affected. The company said the shutoffs, if enacted, would be its third such event of 2026.

PG&E said the scope and timing of the shutoffs could change based on real-time weather conditions. Outages could be delayed, canceled or expanded depending on wind speeds, humidity levels and conditions in the field.

The utility said PSPS events are used as a last-resort measure to reduce wildfire risk when severe weather conditions threaten power infrastructure. PG&E said a 2026 simulation showed a previous May PSPS event may have prevented wildfire impacts across as many as 270,000 acres.

PG&E has sought to reduce the impact of shutoffs through measures including energy storage systems, automated customer notifications, community resource centers and grid upgrades. The company said PSPS outages affected more than 2 million customers in 2019, compared with about 18,000 customers in 2025.

PG&E provides electricity and natural gas service to more than 16 million people across Northern and Central California.

Write to Anvee Bhutani at anvee.bhutani@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 15, 2026 12:35 ET (16:35 GMT)

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