The California Public Utilities Commission, the state body responsible for regulating both Waymo and PG&E, had little to say following the widespread San Francisco blackout that began Saturday afternoon.
“We have staff looking into both incidents,” CPUC spokesperson Terrie Prosper said in an email. She did not respond to a question about penalties or repercussions for the companies.
PG&E oversaw a power outage that left roughly one-third of San Francisco disconnected. Gridlock on city streets was compounded by stalled Waymo vehicles. The robotaxi company, owned by Alphabet, temporarily paused service in response.
Members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors have called for public hearings to investigate the causes of the power outage and the slow pace of restoration, as well as the traffic impact of the disabled Waymos.
The five-member CPUC has oversight authority over large swaths of the state’s infrastructure, regulating electricity, water, gas, and telecom companies, in addition to commercial passenger services like rideshare and robotaxis.
The commission is headquartered at 505 Van Ness Ave., within the blackout zone. Thousands of PG&E customers remained without power as of Monday afternoon.
Members of the commission are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate for six-year terms.
Local and state lawmakers have called for greater investigation of the blackout and promised to hold PG&E accountable.
According to the CPUC’s most recent annual electricity reliability report (opens in new tab), San Francisco experienced its highest number of total service interruptions in 2023-24 and the longest restoration times in a decade. Still, the city fared better in terms of outages than many other cities in PG&E’s service area.
PG&E and other utility companies are required to obtain CPUC approval for rate increases. The commission has approved six electricity rate hikes for PG&E since 2024, contributing to sharply higher bills for customers.
Critics have long accused the CPUC of setting lax standards for utility companies. In 2020, commissioners unanimously waived a $200 million fine levied against PG&E for neglected electrical equipment linked to fires in 2017 and 2018 that killed more than 100 people. The utility argued that paying the fine would hinder its recovery as it emerged from bankruptcy tied to tens of billions of dollars in wildfire liabilities.
Since emerging from bankruptcy in July 2020, PG&E has improved its financial performance, culminating in a record $2.47 billion in profits in 2024. This month, the CPUC reduced the amount of profit PG&E can return to shareholders, capping returns at 9.98% for 2026.
The commission’s next scheduled public meeting is set for Jan. 15 in San Francisco.
