San Francisco—one of America’s most iconic cities—was thrust into chaos and darkness on December 20, 2025, when a massive power outage swept across nearly a third of the metropolis. More than 130,000 homes and businesses lost electricity, paralyzing daily life and exposing vulnerabilities in the city’s infrastructure. Residents, businesses, and city officials all scrambled to respond to a crisis that, for many, felt as surreal as it was inconvenient.
The blackout began shortly after 1 p.m. on Saturday, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E), and rapidly spread through the northwest neighborhoods, including Richmond, Sunset, Presidio, and the areas around Golden Gate Park. As reported by PowerOutageUS, over 130,000 customers found themselves without power at the peak of the outage, representing about one-third of PG&E’s San Francisco customer base. By the early morning hours of December 21, more than 29,000 residents were still waiting for their lights to come back on, and as of noon Sunday, 17,000 remained in the dark, according to the Associated Press.
For many, the most immediate impact was the sudden halt of vital transportation services. Rail lines and traffic signals stopped working, creating confusion and, in some cases, dangerous intersections. The city’s Department of Emergency Management took to social media to warn residents: “There are significant transit disruptions happening citywide. Please avoid nonessential travel and treat downed traffic signals as four-way stops.” City buses rerouted to avoid powerless stops, and BART train stations bypassed affected areas, further complicating travel for thousands.
Perhaps the most striking symbol of the outage was the sight of Waymo’s driverless cars, stranded in the middle of intersections. The autonomous vehicles, which rely heavily on functioning traffic signals and network connectivity, became immobilized when the grid failed. “We have temporarily suspended our ride-hailing services given the broad power outage in San Francisco,” a Waymo spokesperson told SF Gate. “We are focused on keeping our riders safe and ensuring emergency personnel have the clear access they need to do their work.” Video footage shared on X (formerly Twitter) showed several Waymo vehicles idling with hazard lights flashing, inadvertently causing traffic jams in neighborhoods like North Beach.
The cause of the blackout was soon traced to a fire at a PG&E substation located at 8th and Mission streets in downtown San Francisco. Firefighters were quick to respond, containing the blaze with carbon dioxide, but not before significant damage had been done. “The damage from the fire in our substation was significant and extensive, and the repairs and safe restoration will be complex,” PG&E said in a statement, as reported by the Associated Press. The utility company mobilized additional engineers and electricians to accelerate restoration efforts, but cautioned that the plan “will require the highest amount of safety focus to ensure safe work actions.”
As darkness fell on Saturday, the city’s usual holiday glow was replaced by the eerie sight of darkened streets, shuttered restaurants, and unlit Christmas decorations. Social media was awash with images of pedestrians crossing intersections by flashlight, families celebrating birthdays by candlelight, and shopkeepers standing outside their powerless businesses. According to Reuters, frustrated residents voiced their anger online, with one writing, “We’ve been without power for 12+ hours, but it finally came on at 12:30 AM Sunday morning. It’s grossly unacceptable not to have reliable power in San Francisco. PG&E needs to strengthen SF’s power grid and make it redundant to prevent blackouts.”
City officials responded swiftly to the unfolding crisis. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie took to social media to urge calm and caution: “We are still not clear when power will be restored to over 130,000 customers. So what I am going to ask all of you to do is, if you do not need to go out tonight, stay home, be safe.” Lurie also advised residents to check on neighbors and to be careful with candles, a necessary precaution in a city where many turned to old-fashioned means for light and warmth. Police presence was increased in the affected areas to “ensure the safety of those still on the road,” as reported by AP.
For businesses, the blackout was a bitter blow. The outage struck on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, forcing mass closures of restaurants and retail shops. Store managers like Ryan Sicat, who stood outside the Industry of All Nations store, were left in limbo, waiting for the lights to come back on and customers to return. “Significant transit disruptions” and the lack of power meant that even those who ventured out faced a city that was, for once, eerily quiet and subdued.
PG&E, under intense scrutiny, worked through the night and into Sunday to restore service. The company posted on X around 4 p.m. Saturday that it had stabilized the power grid and was not expecting additional customer outages, but could not confirm when full restoration would occur. By Sunday noon, only 17,000 customers were still without power, and PG&E pledged that all would be reconnected by 2 p.m. Monday. “This is a very complex work plan and will require the highest amount of safety focus to ensure safe work actions,” the utility emphasized. Thankfully, no injuries were reported during the incident.
The outage reignited a fierce debate over the state of San Francisco’s infrastructure and PG&E’s stewardship of the power grid. Residents took to social media to vent their frustrations, with some blaming what they saw as misplaced city priorities. “Sitting here in the dark for hours with zero cellular service (I’m in my car) but at least SF has a reparations fund now!” one person wrote. Others demanded immediate upgrades to the city’s aging electrical system, especially given the city’s high utility rates. “This is a disgrace. Most expensive electric rates in the USA and we can’t get the grid fixed,” another resident posted.
As the city slowly returned to normal over the weekend, the blackout served as a stark reminder of the delicate balance between modern convenience and the realities of aging infrastructure. The sight of self-driving cars stalled in the dark, buses rerouted, and families huddled around candles was a powerful illustration of just how dependent San Francisco has become on reliable electricity—and how quickly that dependence can become a vulnerability when things go wrong.
With power restored to most of the city and investigations ongoing, San Franciscans are left to ponder what comes next: Will this be the wake-up call needed to spur investment in a more resilient grid? Only time will tell, but for now, the city’s resilience and community spirit have once again been put to the test—and, for the most part, have held strong.
