San Francisco blackout stalls Waymo robotaxis as 130,000 lose power

A massive power outage in San Francisco on Saturday left about 130,000 customers without electricity, shutting down traffic signals and bringing Waymo's driverless taxis to a standstill in the streets. The outage largely affected the city’s northwest neighborhoods, including the Richmond, Sunset, Presidio and Golden Gate Park districts, with utilities and city officials describing a broad disruption across the area. By early Sunday, restoration efforts were underway, and officials said tens of thousands of customers remained without power as crews worked to restore service.

The outage began as early as about 9:40 a.m. local time, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Co. Crews were dispatched to restore power, and an outage at a Pacific Gas and Electric substation at 8th and Mission streets in downtown San Francisco was cited as a contributing factor. Fire crews responded to the scene and contained the fire with carbon dioxide, according to authorities. The disruption forced major transit and street operations to halt or slow dramatically; traffic signals went dark, and city buses rerouted to avoid affected corridors. Waymo said it had temporarily suspended its ride-hailing services amid the outage to keep riders safe and to ensure emergency access for responders. Video from the scene showed several Waymo vehicles halted in intersections with their hazards on, and witnesses described gridlock as drivers navigated around the unmoving autonomous cars. There was also at least one report of a passenger remaining inside a vehicle during the outage.

City officials and emergency managers provided ongoing updates as the day progressed. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie urged residents to stay safe and check on neighbors, noting that crews would continue to work overnight to restore power. He also reminded residents to secure candles and other potential fire hazards as outages stretched into the night. A spokesperson for PG&E said the utility was investigating the cause of the outage and that the grid had been stabilized, with the company not expecting additional customers to be affected once restoration was complete. The outage represented roughly one-third of the utility’s San Francisco customers, according to PG&E and city officials.

Transit networks faced substantial disruption. Rail lines and traffic signals were shut down, and officials urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel for the remainder of the night. San Francisco Department of Emergency Management noted significant transit disruptions and said city buses would continue to adjust routes as service returned. The broader impact highlighted the vulnerability of the city’s infrastructure and the growing dependence on technology-driven services, including autonomous transportation, when power systems are disrupted.

By Sunday morning, authorities reported that power was being restored in stages. PG&E said about 90,000 customers had regained service, while crews continued work on the remaining outages. The city reiterated safety guidance and asked residents to monitor official channels for updates as restoration efforts continued. The investigation into the exact cause of the outage remained ongoing, with officials emphasizing that a precise attribution could require additional time and data from both utilities and city infrastructure.