Power and Utilities
Electricity, water and sewer utilities.
14 stories · 2 meeting summaries · Aug 25, 2026 – Oct 23, 2026
Stories
Friday, October 23, 20261 story →
Underground cable fire in San Francisco knocks out power to nearly 2,800 customers
An underground power facility fire near Van Ness Avenue and Bush Street on Wednesday night cut power to nearly 2,800 homes and businesses, affecting parts of the Tenderloin and Civic Center. Firefighters responded and PG&E restored most service that night, with no injuries reported.
Wednesday, October 21, 20261 story →
PG&E outlined its $22.5B price tag for a public power takeover
PG&E appraised its San Francisco assets and revenue at $22.5 billion as the city weighs a public power takeover. The utility produced the figure amid calls for the forced liquidation of its San Francisco business.
Sunday, October 18, 20261 story →
Dogpatch Resident Dennis Herrera Retires After a Quarter-Century City Career
Dennis Herrera will step down as general manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission at the end of the year, ending a 25-year city career. He was elected city attorney in 2002 and served until 2021 before former Mayor London Breed appointed him to lead the SFPUC.
Friday, October 16, 20262 stories →
$5M Worth Of Stormwater Management Projects On Tap For Outer Mission
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency granted San Francisco $5 million for stormwater projects across five acres of the Outer Mission. The work includes planted curb extensions, rain garden plazas and an underground infiltration system meant to keep sewer overflows out of Islais Creek and the bay, and to calm traffic on nearby streets.
‘Absurd’: City officials laugh off PG&E’s $20B price tag for San Francisco’s grid
City officials called PG&E's $20 billion estimate for a city takeover of its San Francisco electric grid inflated, according to the Standard. PG&E says the city's $3.4 billion estimate leaves out key costs.
Thursday, October 15, 20261 story →
City takeover of PG&E grid could cost $20B, utility says
PG&E says a city takeover of its San Francisco electric grid could cost about $20 billion, nearly six times the city's own estimate, according to the Standard. The utility must give state regulators a cost projection this month.
Friday, October 9, 20262 stories →
San Francisco halts approval of new data centers for 45 days
The Board of Supervisors unanimously passed an emergency ordinance on Oct. 6 pausing approvals for new data centers and expansion of existing ones for 45 days, making San Francisco the first Bay Area city to do so. Supervisor Shamann Walton, who introduced the measure, said the city needs more time to study how data centers affect electricity, water and nearby neighborhoods before writing long-term rules.
There have been 40 PG&E blackouts since December’s disaster. The city is pissed
San Francisco has lost power roughly once a week since a Dec. 20 blackout, with at least 40 major PG&E outages this year. City officials are urging state regulators to open a public investigation into the utility's reliability, pointing to the outages, recent electrical fires and delays to infrastructure projects.
Monday, October 5, 20261 story →
Sunset Boulevard green space to switch to recycled water irrigation
San Francisco will connect irrigation for about 60 acres of green space along Sunset Boulevard to the city's recycled water system, a change the city expects to save roughly 40 million gallons of drinking water a year. Mayor Daniel Lurie, state Sen. Scott Wiener, Supervisor Alan Wong and Public Works director Carla Short announced the next phase of the work on Sept. 30. The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved accepting up to $1 million in state funding for it on Sept. 22, and Lurie signed the resolution on Sept. 25.
Friday, October 2, 20261 story →
Downtown blocks temporarily evacuated due to underground fire
A fire in an underground vault beneath a downtown office tower led officials to warn people nearby to shelter in place for hours Thursday morning. Streets around the block were closed while fire crews worked.
Monday, September 21, 20261 story →
PG&E vs. SF: Why the next few weeks matter for a public power takeover
The Standard's politics column looks at the next few weeks in San Francisco's push for a public power takeover of PG&E's local grid. It also covers a proposal to rename Cesar Chavez Street, changes to the city's OpenGov software and Los Angeles' vote on a wealth tax.
Sunday, September 6, 20261 story →
Sponsored: Geary Upgrades Now 80% Complete, With Major Milestones Reached
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission says the Geary Boulevard sewer and water improvements are 80 percent complete and ahead of schedule. The agency called the project one of the largest infrastructure upgrades the neighborhood has seen in generations as it thanks residents.
Sunday, August 30, 20261 story →
Newsom, Lawmakers Reach Last-Minute Deal on Wildfire Fallout
Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders reached a last-minute deal on wildfire liability rules, aiming to lower electricity rates and speed up payouts to fire survivors. The plan, from Sen. Josh Becker, would limit hedge fund profits from utility-caused fires and restrict bonuses for utility executives. It would also create a program to fast-track survivor claims.
Tuesday, August 25, 20261 story →
Western Addition High Schools, Businesses Lose Power Following PG&E Vault Fire
A PG&E vault fire near Geary Boulevard and Scott Street knocked out power to more than 1,200 customers and left two high schools and nearby businesses without electricity Monday morning. PG&E said the blaze was caused by equipment failure.