• Armando Espinoza delivers paper products to a cafe in downtown Sonoma, Calif., where power is turned off, on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019. Pacific Gas and Electric has cut power to more than half a million customers in Northern California hoping to prevent wildfires during dry, windy weather throughout the region. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Photo: Noah Berger, Associated Press

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With strong winds yet to kick up as of Wednesday evening, Pacific Gas & Electric began to restore power to tens of thousands of customers who had been left in the dark since just after midnight.

The first phase of power shut-offs started after midnight early Wednesday morning, affecting 500,000 customers, many in the North Bay and Sierra foothills. PG&E was able to restore power to about 44,000 of those customers by 6 p.m., said Sumeet Singh, vice president of PG&E’s community wildfire safety program.

“We have identified limited areas where we could safely energize sections by reconfiguring our electrical system, because that part of our circuit and our system was not in the high fire threat area. As a result, we’ve been able to bring service back to approximately 44,000 of the 500,000 customers,” said Singh.


Singh had another bit of good news: PG&E was working to restore power to an additional 60,000 to 80,000 customers in the Humboldt area Wednesday evening. In order to do so, PG&E crews were inspecting “every inch” of a transmission line for any signs of damage.

Residents of the East Bay and South Bay were originally scheduled to lose power starting at noon Wednesday, but the timing got pushed back thanks to a shift in the weather forecast. Singh said the utility would be making a decision about if and when the rest of the Bay Area would lose power later Wednesday evening.

A third phase, which was set to affect about 40,000 customers in Kern County, has been greatly downsized. Now, PG&E expects only about 4,600 customers to lose power.

While the timing of the weather pattern has kept the electricity on for Bay Area residents longer than expected, Singh warned that the forecast is always subject to change.

FULL PG&E SHUTOFF COVERAGE:

– Map shows Bay Area neighborhoods that will be without power

– PG&E map down? Here’s an interactive NorCal power shutoff map that actually works

– Essentials to buy for PG&E’s planned power outage

– Here’s what you should (and shouldn’t) do during a power outage

– When will my power turn off?

– Cal, Bay Area schools announce canceled classes, closure

– UPDATE: 2 Bay Area tunnels expected to remain open

Alix Martichoux is an SFGate digital editor. Read her latest stories and send her news tips at alix.martichoux@sfgate.com.