PG&E says it has made numerous investments in the past year—with more scheduled for 2025—that will improve the reliability of its power grid in Morgan Hill, and some local residents say they’re eager to note if outages become less frequent in the approaching months.
The reliability of electricity provided by PG&E has been an ongoing source of concern and contention in Morgan Hill, where outages affecting dozens, and sometimes hundreds of customers have become increasingly common, especially during times of strong winds and high temperatures.
In a Jan. 7 announcement, PG&E said it continues to invest in projects that aim to “improve the resilience and reliability” of its electricity system in Morgan Hill and surrounding areas.
The company added it is also considering new ways to reduce safety-related outages triggered by Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings. These settings—which are in effect throughout the South Bay—automatically turn off power within one-tenth of a second if a hazard (such as a tree branch striking a powerline) is detected.
PG&E listed the following improvements it has made in Morgan Hill in the past year in its effort to provide more reliable service:
• Upgraded and installed 231 transformers, 131 switches and 145 poles to improve electric reliability and ensure settings are working at optimal capacity to help reduce potential for outages.
• Upgraded and installed 101 fuses to localize outages so fewer customers are impacted.
• Relocated, installed and upgraded five line-reclosers to reduce the number of customers impacted during an outage.
• Trimmed about 113 trees to reduce vegetation falling into a powerline and triggering an outage.
• Installed 23 fault indicators that precisely pinpoint where an outage happened, helping crews get the power back on faster.
• Installed 10 animal guards to protect both animals and our equipment, reducing the number of animal-caused outages.
• Modified safety settings by making sure the equipment is working in a coordinated fashion, so EPSS impacts the least number of customers as possible.
Additional projects scheduled for 2025 that intend to address electric reliability especially during extreme weather, according to PG&E, include:
• Install a new feeder in the coming months. Feeders provide power to customers from a substation. This new feeder will allow PG&E to transfer about 1,200 customers to a different circuit, reducing the potential for outages.
• Early this year, PG&E will undertake a project that consists of removing overhead powerlines to reduce the number of customers impacted by EPSS outages and increase electric reliability.
“These investments will make our grid more resilient to climate change and improve reliability for thousands of customers in the South Bay and, specifically, for Morgan Hill,” said the Vice President for PG&E’s South Bay and Central Coast Region, Teresa Alvarado. “Electric reliability is the backbone of our communities. It powers our daily lives, our economy and it fuels innovation.”
Morgan Hill Mayor Mark Turner said this week that he is not aware of the improvements and projects cited by PG&E in the Jan. 7 announcement. Turner said while the city is “very appreciative of PG&E’s efforts,” the community will “have to wait and see” if the recent and upcoming infrastructure investments will make a difference.
In recent years, PG&E electric reliability has been “horrible” in Morgan Hill, Turner added. The city council has held a number of public discussions—often attended by hundreds of concerned local residents—with PG&E representatives demanding better service. The company’s history of unreliability and the frequency of outages have produced a refrain of complaints and jokes on local social media community pages.
In July 2024, for example, power outages were reported in Morgan Hill on 21 days throughout the month, Turner noted in a Sept. 10 letter to PG&E CEO Patti Poppe. On 10 of those days, multiple outages occurred. On July 11, five outages were reported throughout Morgan Hill.
Of the 36 total outages reported in July, 25% were due to equipment failure; 40% were for unknown reasons; and two outages were caused by a vehicle hitting a pole, Turner’s letter added.
Turner added that he has also discussed the problem with the California Public Utilities Commission, which licenses and regulates energy providers in the state. CPUC officials have said that many other communities, in addition to Morgan Hill, have experienced a similar history with PG&E—and that’s even more worrisome as the region continues to grow, Turner noted.
“My concern is where we’re headed as a state (that is) pushing the mandates that they are—electifying everything—that PG&E is never going to be able to handle that load. We’re heading for catastrophe. It’s quite concerning,” Turner said.
Turner noted that some outages—such as those caused by a vehicle accident—can’t be blamed on PG&E, and the city will continue to work with the utility company to address electricity reliability for the long haul.
“It’s good to know they are taking our concerns to heart and doing things to make a difference,” Turner said.
PG&E’s Jan. 7 announcement added that the company offers the following partnerships and assistance for customers:
• Backup power programs that offer free and reduced-cost options to help minimize the impact of power outages: pge.com/backuppower.
• The Disability Disaster Access and Resources Program helps older adults and those with a disability or chronic medical condition plan for outages, apply for backup power and more: pge.com/ddar.
• A partnership with 211 that helps customers plan for outages and find local support during one: 211.org.
