It is truly an honor to serve the Sunset District, and I approach that responsibility with care and seriousness every day. Over the past month alone, our neighborhood has experienced six power outages. Some lasted only about an hour, while others continued for more than three days. Just earlier this week, on Tuesday, January 27, the Outer Sunset faced yet another outage.
I have heard directly from many of you about how disruptive and frustrating these outages have been for your families, businesses, and daily routines. Your experiences and conversations have stayed with me, and they continue to drive my commitment to be proactive and to find better ways to support our community.
I’m grateful to everyone who has stayed in touch and shared their experiences. Your voices matter, and they help guide how my office shows up and advocates for you.
PG&E Merchant Walk Happening Tomorrow
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Tomorrow, Friday, January 30, my office will once again be in the Sunset District with PG&E, offering bilingual, in-person assistance directly to merchants and residents. PG&E will have a dedicated team of 10 staff members on the ground for this effort.
Time: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Locations:
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18th Ave and Irving St to 27th Ave and Irving St
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24th Ave and Judah St to 35th Ave and Judah St
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42nd Ave and Judah St to La Playa St
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38th Ave and Lawton St to 44th Ave and Lawton St
This follows our first PG&E merchant walk on January 9, where business owners shared their experiences with outages, financial losses, and the challenges of navigating the claims process. The message we heard was clear. More on-the-ground help is needed, and we are continuing that work.
Would you like PG&E to visit your business or residence? Please email
wongstaff@sfgov.org to sign up. My office will continue coordinating with PG&E to make sure support reaches both merchants and residents who need assistance.
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What We’ve Been Doing on PG&E Outages
Early in my term, the Sunset District experienced repeated power outages, including six outages in one month and a multi-day citywide outage that left some residents without power for up to three days. Tenants, homeowners, seniors, medically vulnerable residents, and small businesses were all affected.
From the beginning, I directed my office to document impacts, reach out to the community, and press PG&E for answers. I sent formal letters calling for accountability and clearer communication, and I requested a public Board hearing to examine what went wrong and how we prevent this from happening again.
At the same time, I prioritized direct, hands-on support. My office worked with PG&E to bring bilingual, in-person claims assistance into the district through merchant walks, a full-day community walk, and targeted outreach at senior centers. This support matters because many families and businesses experienced losses well beyond the automatic credits, and many found the claims process difficult to access.
I also met directly with PG&E’s CEO to push for concrete changes. As a result, PG&E committed to:
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Proactive bilingual outreach
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Improved advance notice of outages
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On-the-ground claims support in the Sunset
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Acknowledgment that automatic credits are a starting point, not the full measure of losses
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Participation in a February 12 public accountability hearing
My priority has remained the same throughout this process: protecting residents and tenants, supporting small businesses, and working toward reliable and accountable power service for the Sunset District.
What’s Next
Early February: Senior and Vulnerable Community Outreach
My office is working with PG&E to conduct in-person outreach at senior centers, with a focus on assisting seniors and medically vulnerable residents.
February 12: Public Accountability Hearing
I will convene a public hearing where residents, tenants, and business owners can share their experiences directly with PG&E and raise concerns about reliability and communication.
If you’ve been impacted by PG&E outages or would like on-the-ground support, please reach out to my office at
wongstaff@sfgov.org. Hearing directly from you helps us understand what’s really happening and guides how we advocate for the Sunset. Thank you for continuing to share your experiences with us.
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