MONTEREY COUNTY — Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) has notified Monterey County that a potential Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) could affect parts of South Monterey County and the Carmel Valley area beginning Wednesday morning due to forecast gusty winds and extreme heat.
According to the Monterey County Department of Emergency Management, the potential shutoff could begin at 10 a.m. July 15 and last until mid-evening July 16. The utility cited forecast high temperatures in the 90s to low 100s across the interior Central Coast, combined with gusty winds, as conditions that could increase wildfire risk.
Areas that could be impacted include:
- Eastern King City
- Soledad east of Metz Road
- The east side of Carmel Valley
- The west side of Greenfield
- Jolon Road near San Antonio
- San Ardo
County officials noted that PG&E will make the final determination on whether to implement a Public Safety Power Shutoff. If an outage is ordered, affected customers will receive notifications directly from PG&E. Residents can also check outage status through PG&E’s outage map and sign up to receive PSPS alerts.
In anticipation of a possible shutoff, PG&E plans to open Community Resource Centers at three locations:
- Salinas Valley Fairgrounds, 625 Division St., King City
- San Antonio Union School, 67550 Lockwood Jolon Road, Lockwood
- Carmel Valley Community Park/Carmel Valley Community Youth Center, 25 Ford Road, Carmel Valley
PG&E also plans to distribute Grab N Go bags at the King City resource center.
Monterey County Department of Emergency Management and Monterey County Free Libraries are also working to establish a cooling center in South Monterey County. Officials said the public will be notified once that location is confirmed.
