A San Francisco neighbourhood already reeling from a pre-Christmas blackout that left over 130,000 residents in the dark is now grappling with a new, deafening problem. Locals in the Richmond District say the temporary generators brought in to restore power are producing intolerable noise levels, disrupting sleep and daily life.
From Darkness to Deafening Noise
The crisis began on December 20th, when a large-scale power outage plunged much of northern San Francisco into darkness. While power was restored to most of the 95,000 affected customers that night, a significant number in the Richmond District remained without electricity. In response, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) deployed diesel-powered generators as an alternative power source at a substation on 24th Avenue and Balboa Street.
These units have been running non-stop since December 22nd. According to resident Vahid Sattary, who spoke to local news outlet KRON 4, the generators housed in containers on truck trailers are reaching noise levels of 100 decibels. This is comparable to the sound of a jet taking off or constant jackhammering. Sattary complained the noise has become "so loud you cannot have a simple conversation."
Residents Left in Limbo and Without Answers
The situation has left the community in a state of anxious uncertainty. Mi Zhou, a local temporarily housed in a hotel provided by PG&E, expressed the collective frustration, stating her family "are more concerned about when this will end." PG&E officials have not provided a clear timeline for when the generators will be silenced and full power restored, only stating the units will be turned off "as soon as repairs are complete."
The repairs are for a separate substation where a fire initially contributed to the city-wide outage. The utility company has said it is working on a plan to return to normal operations in "the days ahead," but for residents, this vague timeline offers little comfort. Attempts to get answers directly from PG&E have proven futile. "We called the PG&E hotline... They took notes and said someone would contact us. No follow through," Sattary told KRON 4.
The noise pollution has taken a severe toll. "For five nights, we have not been able to sleep," Sattary said, adding that PG&E has been "unresponsive" and has "not been good neighbours." Outraged residents have escalated their complaints to Richmond Supervisor Connie Chan, who has labelled the company's handling of the outage as "completely unacceptable" and is demanding accountability.
Fallout from the Festive Blackout
The original blackout, which affected roughly one-third of PG&E's customers in the city just days before Christmas, caused widespread disruption. The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management reported significant transit disruptions and urged residents to avoid non-essential travel. Mayor Daniel Lurie advised people to stay home while crews worked to restore power.
The event also exposed vulnerabilities in the city's infrastructure, notably causing chaos with driverless Waymo taxis. The autonomous vehicles, confused by malfunctioning traffic lights, stopped in the middle of streets, creating traffic jams and adding to the mayhem.
In response to the widespread inconvenience, PG&E announced it would issue automatic bill credits to affected customers. Residential customers will receive a $200 credit, while business customers will get approximately $2,500. The company stated the intent was to provide "meaningful, timely relief" without requiring customers to take additional steps.
For the residents of the Richmond District, however, financial compensation does little to mitigate the ongoing physical and mental strain of living next to a constant, thunderous noise source, turning a festive season crisis into an enduring nightmare.
