Power Outage Hits Cal Poly Agriculture Units for Two Days
Mustang News
Friday, Oct 16, 2026
PG&E shut off power in parts of San Luis Obispo County at 6 a.m. on Thursday, October 15, to mitigate wildfire risks during strong winds. Approximately 4,000 customers were left without power, according to PG&E.
Initially expected to conclude by 11 a.m. Saturday, the power shutoff's timeline could change based on weather conditions, PG&E stated.
San Luis Obispo Emergency Manager Joe Little explained that PG&E considers wind strength and vegetation dryness when deciding on power shutoffs. He noted that these warnings allow residents and businesses to prepare and implement contingencies, such as activating backup generators.
As of Wednesday morning, most of San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly were removed from PG&E's projected shutoff area, per Little. However, these areas could be added back as weather conditions evolve.
The potential outage might impact student and staff residences, as well as the Technology Park, according to a university email.
Student Concerns
Noah Latterman, a marine biology sophomore and Mustang Village resident, received a warning text from PG&E about the potential shutoff. He expressed concern about losing power during midterms and was confused about why he hadn't heard from his professors about backup plans.
"The text from PG&E gave me time to buy portable chargers and prepare my house, but I have not received anything from my professors, and I am starting to be worried," Latterman said.
He cited an unplanned power outage on October 7 that disrupted his studying and left him unable to fully charge his phone and laptop before class.
"By the time I had to be up for class that I had a test in, my devices had very little charge. I now have backup portable chargers, but I am still worried something like this will happen again this Thursday," Latterman said.
The outage affected nearly 6,000 PG&E customers in northern San Luis Obispo, including neighborhoods near Foothill Boulevard. Approximately 4,100 customers remained without power at 8:37 a.m., according to PG&E.
The Cal Poly Creamery and Center for Wine and Viticulture are located within the northwestern region affected by the outage. A sign on the creamery's door stated it was closed due to the outage but would reopen with a drive-thru service on Friday from noon to 4 p.m.