PSPS — Public Safety Power Shutoff
Also known as: Public Safety Power ShutoffPG&E PSPSplanned outagefire weather shutoffPreemptive shutoff
PSPS is California's program authorizing utilities (primarily PG&E in our area) to proactively cut power during high-fire-risk weather. Started in 2018 under CPUC authorization (Resolution ESRB-8). Triggers include sustained winds >25 mph, gusts >45 mph, humidity below 20%, dry fuels, and CAL FIRE Red Flag Warnings — typically in combination.
PSPS events affect customers inside PG&E's High Fire-Threat District (HFTD) Tier 2 and Tier 3 zones. In Santa Cruz County, that covers much of the mountains — Felton, Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek, the upper Westside, Bonny Doon, Corralitos, Day Valley, parts of Aptos hills. Coastal flats and Watsonville are generally outside HFTD.
Historical pattern: - 2019-2021: peak years, with multi-day shutoffs affecting 20,000+ Santa Cruz County customers per event - 2022-2024: declining frequency as PG&E completed system hardening, undergrounding, and remote-sectionalizing - Still real, still recurring, still multi-day when conditions trigger them
Mountain residents need a backup power strategy whether they want one or not — the question is what kind. Options: portable generator (cheapest, manual, needs fuel), transfer switch + standby generator (mid-cost, automatic, propane or natural gas), or battery backup (most expensive upfront, silent, works with solar). Each has tradeoffs we walk through on the Backup Power service page.
Battery backup makes the most sense for PSPS if you already have or want solar. Standby generator makes more sense if you don't want solar or want indefinite runtime without sun. We do both; we don't push one over the other — depends on your situation.
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