Planned blackout during shelter-in-place has Concord residents concerned and frustrated

CONCORD, Calif. - With people sheltering in place, it's a bad time for a blackout.  

But that's what's happening for hundreds of households in Concord Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., on what is expected to be the hottest day of the year so far. The outage was originally supposed to last until 7 p.m. 

"We're okay until about 3, 4 o-clock and then it gets warm," said Byron Dahl, among more than 200 PG&E customers who received shut-off notices. 

Like many households, the Dahls have stocked their refrigerator and freezer, to minimize trips to the market during the pandemic.

It's not food he wants to risk losing, although he understands the need for PG&E to make wildfire upgrades to its system.

"Well they have to do something because if they didn't, just imagine the public outcry if something happens in this neighborhood," said Dahl. 

When shelter-in-place orders took effect, the utility suspended work-related power outages to avoid adding to the hardship. 

But as time stretches on, it has resumed some projects, cutting power in scattered communities across the East Bay and Marin County. 

Concord's outage will allow the installation of an overhead device that automatically de-energizes circuits in high fire risk conditions. 

"The project needs to be complete before wildfire season," said PG&E spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian.

The work has already been postponed twice recently, and Sarkissian says waiting for shelter-in-place to end is no longer an option.   

"To put off this essential safety work that requires planned outages is not viable," explained Sarkissian.

"It's unsafe, and we need to move forward and make sure it gets done."

Concord resident Michelle Eberhart is among the utility customers questioning the outage timing.

"We are eating a lot more frozen food right now," said Eberhart, showing KTVU the contents of her packed freezer. 

"We're going into the hottest day of the year, it's supposed to be 95 on Friday, so this doesn't make sense," Eberhart said.

Added her husband Gary, "They've put this work off for decades and now all of a sudden they've decided this is the time to do it." 

Thursday evening, after KTVU inquiries, PG&E relented and slashed the outage duration from ten hours to five. 

"We were able to take a look at this very closely and find an alternative way to do the construction," said Sarkissian.  "We are listening to our customers and we do hear them."

The revised plan has power restored before the mid-afternoon heat. But worry persists, about elderly customers and those already stressed. 

"My big concern is a lot of people didn't even know about this," said Michelle Eberhart. "and it's not just about food."

As a teacher, Eberhart relies on internet service.

"I can't schedule any Zoom sessions tomorrow, no conversations with my students, my husband also works from home and our daughter won't be doing any of her schoolwork."

PG&E says it is trying to limit planned outages to only the most essential projects, but cannot eliminate them entirely. 

For some customers, that seems reasonable, if inconvenient.  

"I can give them the benefit of the doubt," said Dahl.

"Do they need to do it? Yes. Is the timing right? No. But it is what it is."