Aptos power outages, PG&E response are frustrating residents

Aptos residents are growing frustrated with power outages they say have increased over the past few years and which have felt like a common occurrence this year. A Pacific Gas & Electric spokesperson says it’s one of the pitfalls of living in a community at high risk for wildfires. The community’s county supervisor points to lack of communication from PG&E as an added frustration. 

In the past month, Aptos has experienced power outages often. In some cases, multiple outages a week and for some residents multiple times a day, District 2 Supervisor Zach Friend said. 

Outages can occur for various reasons – harsh weather or a falling tree can damage power lines. But outages are also sometimes scheduled by PG&E, or triggered by the company’s Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS) systems. The EPSS systems are sensors that shut off power within a tenth of a second of detecting a hazard on the power lines, PG&E spokesperson Stephanie Magallon said. Hazards can be anything, from a tree branch to a bird landing on the power line. 

“These enhanced power-line settings are sensors we have in areas that are prone to fires,” Magallon said. “There’s a high wildfire risk in that community [Aptos] because of vegetation.” 

Once an outage occurs, it can take hours to restore power. PG&E crews have to inspect the lines by foot, Magallon said, or sometimes via helicopter or drone in remote areas to ensure lines are safe to be repowered. 

Magallon was not immediately able to provide Lookout with specific data on the number and scope of outages in Aptos over recent years.

Friend said many of his constituents are losing trust in the system and are questioning why PG&E’s communication about outage causes and its efforts to minimize the frequency of them have been so poor. 

Friend said most Aptos residents are concerned about the decisions PG&E leadership is making and wonder why this has been a recurring issue for years. There’s an understandable concern over what will happen over the coming winter and how many days the community will be without power, he said.

“This is a lifeline issue for many constituents. Some rely on power for septic, others for essential medical equipment or to work from home,” said Friend. 

The frequency of the power outages has also impacted local businesses. Mangiamo Pizza and Wine, for example, is forced to close when an outage occurs, said owner David Bohigian. 

While the restaurant off Rio Del Mar Boulevard has gas generators to use when the power goes out, it can run them for only a certain period of time, per Santa Cruz County regulations, said Bohigian. What usually happens is Bohigian fills his car with costly inventory and takes it home to store in his fridge. This is all to prevent expensive ingredients from going bad and becoming a financial waste. 

When the power is eventually restored, Bohigian’s goal is to reopen Magiamo’s doors as soon as possible, he said. But it’s not always that simple. He said restaurant staff have to prepare vegetables again after throwing out batches that have gone bad. 

Magallon said PG&E is in the process of installing grid scope sensors to help pinpoint the cause of outages, and that the data collected from the sensors will be used to help prevent future outages. There will be 10,000 installed in PG&E’s service area, of which 4,000 will be in the Santa Cruz Mountains. 

The county has worked with PG&E for multiple years on the issue and has seen very little movement or improvement, said Friend. It has already done outreach with the California Public Utilities Commission to put pressure on PG&E, he added, and will continue to work with PG&E and the CPUC until the outages occur less frequently. 

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FOR THE RECORD: This story has been updated to reflect how long it takes PG&E’s sensors to shut down power lines after detecting a hazard on the power lines – a tenth of a second.

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