Power Restored To Nearly All Customers After Historic Storm

More Than Half a Million Impacted by Wind, Rain and Snow Now Have Lights Back On

News provided by

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)

Dec 13, 2014, 12:45 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Since Wednesday, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) crews have continued working around the clock to restore power to more than 500,000 customers this week as the most severe storm in years made its way across California.

As of 9 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13, fewer than 5,000 customers remain without power in relatively remote, hard-to-access areas. PG&E crews are working safely and as quickly as possible to restore service to these customers.

Of the 500,000 customers who lost service during the storm, more than 95 percent saw their power restored in less than 48 hours.

PG&E devoted 340 crews to the storm-response effort. The company also brought in more than a dozen contract crews from Oregon, Washington and Southern California and partnered with many local first responders and the Red Cross in this effort.

The company's rapid response efforts were bolstered by:

Preparations made before the storm;
The deployment of Mobile Command Vehicles throughout the service area;
Advancements such as self-healing circuits;
And the technology utilized at the recently opened Electric Distribution Control Center in Fresno.

"We thank our customers for preparing for this historic winter storm in advance, and for their patience as we worked safely to restore service," said Geisha Williams, executive vice president of Electric Operations at PG&E.

"We are grateful for the dedication of our crews who worked around the clock to overcome the elements and enable our customers to turn back on their lights," she said. "We know there will be more winter storms ahead and we will be prepared."

Williams noted that while this storm happened in December, California's typical rain season continues through March. The company will continue to make proactive efforts to be prepared to respond effectively to major weather events.

For the latest information on power outages and restoration updates, visit www.pge.com from your mobile device or desktop, or call 1-800-743-5002. Customers can also visit PG&E's Twitter feed at http://www.twitter.com/pge4me and PG&E's Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pacificgasandelectric.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation's cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/ and www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.

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SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)