SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Political leaders are calling for accountability and potential reform after PG&E’s widespread weekend power outage left large parts of San Francisco in the dark, reigniting political debate over the state’s largest utility.
PG&E said the outage stemmed from a fire at a Mission District substation, though the company acknowledged it does not yet know what caused it.
The company said it inspected the Mission-area substation on Dec. 5 and completed maintenance there in October.
Asked by ABC7 News whether any red flags emerged during those inspections or how the outage could have been prevented, Singh said PG&E did not identify any warning signs beforehand.
RELATED: Power expected to be fully restored in SF by Tuesday at 6 a.m., PG&E says
The outage has also become a flashpoint in the 2026 governor’s race, with Democratic candidate Tom Steyer using the moment to renew his push for utility reform.
“If there’s a worst time for the electricity grid to go down, it’s the big holiday weekend,” Steyer said in an interview with ABC7 News.
He argues PG&E – which is the primary utility company for San Francisco – lacks incentive to improve service because it operates “as a monopoly.”
“Monopolies don’t work. They provide the worst service at the highest price,” he said. Look here we are, and it’s an absolutely perfect example.”
RELATED: Impacted by the SF power outage? Here’s how to file a claim with PG&E
Steyer wrote to the California Public Utilities Commission last Monday urging regulators to prioritize reliability over profits.
He argued the state’s current utility model prioritizes shareholder returns over basic service, calling on the CPUC to rebalance its oversight toward reliability, resilience and consumer protection.
Steyer wrote that repeated outages – particularly those affecting dense urban areas and small businesses – undermine public trust and expose vulnerabilities in California’s centralized energy system.
As for what breaking up a utility monopoly would look like, Steyer did not lay out a specific blueprint but said any changes would be gradual.
RELATED: SF Sunset businesses rally after 40-hour PG&E outage coincides with winter solstice celebration
“It’s going to be a series of steps,” he said. “We’ll do it really deliberately. It’s not going to be something that we’re going to do recklessly.”
The billionaire added that if elected he’d work toward longer-term reforms, including accelerating investment in distributed and community-based energy systems.
The CPUC said it is conducting a staff investigation into the outage.
PG&E also said it has hired a third-party investigator to determine what happened and why.
Copyright © 2025 KGO-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Duncan Meyers, founder of BDJOBSTODAY, shares expert career advice, job market insights, and practical tips to help professionals grow and succeed in their careers.
