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A massive power outage plunged large swaths of San Francisco into darkness Saturday, knocking out electricity to about 130,000 homes and businesses and leaving self-driving cars stalled in city streets.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. did not immediately say what caused blackouts to roughly one-third of the utility company’s customers in the city. Fire officials posted on X at about 3:15 p.m. that at least some of the blackouts were caused by a fire that broke out inside a PG&E substation at 8th and Mission streets.
The outage darkened large parts of the city’s north side, starting in the Richmond and Presidio neighborhoods and areas around Golden Gate Park early in the afternoon before spreading further.
PG&E said in an update Sunday morning that damage from the fire in its substation was "significant and extensive," noting that repairs and restoration would be "complex."
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Fog and power outages darken the skyline as traffic moves in San Francisco, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
"At this time, we are unable to provide a precise timeframe for full restoration but will provide additional detail and information as our assessment and repair efforts continue," the utility said in the update posted on X.
Autonomous vehicles stalled in the middle of streets, reportedly unable to detect down traffic lights, triggering traffic jams across affected areas.
The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management said on X there were "significant transit disruptions" happening citywide and urged residents to avoid nonessential travel and treat down traffic signals as four-way stops.
A Waymo vehicle sits idling at an intersection with no operating traffic lights due to power outages, in San Francisco, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Waymo said it temporarily suspended its autonomous ride-hailing service in the wake of the blackout.
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"We have temporarily suspended our ride-hailing services in the San Francisco Bay Area due to the widespread power outage," the company told Fox News Digital in an emailed statement. "Our teams are working diligently and in close coordination with city officials to monitor infrastructure stability, and we are hopeful to bring our services back online soon. We appreciate your patience and will provide further updates as soon as they are available."
A bicyclist drives past headlights from an oncoming vehicle as power outages darken the streets, in San Francisco, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
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PG&E said that crews would continue working through the night to restore power to customers.
As of 7:30 a.m. Sunday, the utility company said that crews had restored electricity to about 110,000 customers, with about 21,000 customers remaining without power, mainly in the Presidio, Richmond District, Golden Gate Park and small areas of downtown San Francisco.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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