San Francisco power outage left 130,000 in the dark as self-driving cars stalled in middle of streets
- - San Francisco power outage left 130,000 in the dark as self-driving cars stalled in middle of streets
Nicholas McEntyreDecember 20, 2025 at 10:30 PM
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An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows A massive outage knocked out power to 130,000 homes and businesses in San Francisco on Saturday, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said, Image 2 shows The power failure left a large swath of the northern part of the city in the dark, beginning with the Richmond and Presidio neighborhoods and areas around Golden Gate Park in the early afternoon and growing in size, Image 3 shows Two Waymo cars sit idle on the streets of San Francisco during the power outage on Dec. 20, 2025
San Francisco plunged into darkness when nearly 30 percent of the city was struck by a massive power outage on Saturday night.
Over 130,000 houses and businesses were left in the dark, largely in the northwest part of San Francisco, including the Richmond, Sunset, Presidio, and Golden Gate Park sections, officials said on Saturday.
As of early Sunday morning, just over 36,000 people were still without power.
A massive outage knocked out power to 130,000 homes and businesses in San Francisco on Saturday, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said. AP
The “citywide” outages forced Waymo to halt its driverless car service, stranding the autonomous vehicles in the middle of the streets, SF Gate reported.
“We have temporarily suspended our ride-hailing services given the broad power outage in San Francisco,” a Waymo spokesperson told the outlet. “We are focused on keeping our riders safe and ensuring emergency personnel have the clear access they need to do their work.”
The company shut down its operation at around 8 p.m. because the cars were unable to operate without traffic signals. Residents shared footage of the Waymo vehicles parked with their hazards flashing
At least four Waymo vehicles were parked in the middle of an intersection with their hazards on, creating a large traffic jam at the busy intersection in the North Beach neighborhood, according to video posted to X.
One passenger was left stranded inside one of the self-driving vehicles during the outage, footage obtained by the outlet showed.
A portion of the outages was blamed on a fire that broke out at a Pacific Gas and Electric substation at 8th and Mission streets in downtown San Francisco Saturday afternoon.
The power failure left a large swath of the northern part of the city in the dark, beginning with the Richmond and Presidio neighborhoods and areas around Golden Gate Park in the early afternoon and growing in size. AP
Two Waymo cars sit idle on the streets of San Francisco during the power outage on Dec. 20, 2025. AP
A Waymo car sits in the middle of an intersection after being unable to operate during the power out. via REUTERS
The outages began as early as 9:40 a.m. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. was aware of the outages and said crews were working to restore power.
Power was restored to approximately 90,000 customers just after 10 p.m. local time, Mayor Daniel Lurie announced on X.
Crews were continuing to work on the remaining 36,000 customers on early Sunday.
“For those of you that do not have power, we want you to make sure you stay safe,” Lurie said.
Traffic builds up on the dark streets of San Francisco during the power outage on Dec. 20, 2025. AP
People celebrating a friend’s birthday sit on a bench during the massive power outage in San Francisco. AP
Pedestrians walk in the dark along Hayes Street during the power outage in San Francisco. AP
The 48-year-old Democrat advised residents to check on neighbors but to remember to blow out all candles they may have been using before going to bed.
“I know there’s a lot going on out there, but people really stepped up tonight and will overnight as well,” Lurie said.
Police officer presence was ramped up in the areas without power to “ensure the safety of those still on the road,” he added.
Cars travel slowly through a an intersection after traffic lights went out. AP
The outage represents roughly one-third of the utility company’s customers in the city. AP
PG&E says the grid has been stabilized, and the company is not expecting any more customers to be affected.
Rail lines and traffic signals were shut down by the outage, with city officials urging residents not to travel for the remainder of the night.
City buses had their routes changed, bypassing certain stops that were affected by the outages.
“Significant transit disruptions” were reported by the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management across the city.
With Post wires
Source: “AOL Breaking”
