Critical Facilities and
Infrastructure Customers
If high-risk wildfire conditions threaten a portion of the electric system serving your community, it may be necessary for us as a last resort to turn off electricity in the interest of public safety. This is called a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS).
We understand that businesses rely on electric service and these events can have significant impacts to operations. This is especially true for services and facilities that are essential to public safety, including but not limited to hospitals, police and fire stations, communications services and water providers.
During a PSPS event we aim to minimize these impacts as much as possible and to send early warning notifications via phone calls, text alerts, emails before turning off power. You can also stay updated with our PSPS mobile app. Learn more about our app.
Preparing for Emergencies
Critical Facilities in SDG&E’s service territory may require additional time to prepare for PSPS events. Customers who have been identified as a Critical Facility may receive additional notifications before a PSPS is initiated.
Every month, SDG&E updates the list of Critical Facilities and seeks to maintain an updated directory of emergency contacts from these customers. These contacts are essential to ensuring that your facility is contacted before, during, and after a PSPS event. Additionally, SDG&E will survey these customers to assess their emergency preparedness and their backup generation capabilities. This helps SDG&E determine Circuits of concern that may need additional support during a PSPS.
If you have been identified as a Critical Facility, please ensure your contact information is up to date by clicking the Survey Link below or contacting your assigned Account Executive.
Critical Facility and Critical Infrastructure Definition
The terms "critical facilities" and "critical infrastructure" refer to facilities and infrastructure that are essential to public safety and that require additional assistance and advance planning to ensure resiliency during PSPS events. The following are the types of customers and infrastructure the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) defines as "critical facilities" and "critical infrastructure."* SDG&E customers and infrastructure meeting this definition receive the additional resources outlined above during outages.
Critical Facility and Infrastructure Customer Types
Emergency Services Sector
- Police Stations
- Fire Stations
- Emergency Operations Centers
- Tribal Government Providers
- Public Safety Answering Points
Government Facilities Sector
-
Schools
- Jails and prisons
- Homeless Shelters
- Community Centers
- Senior Centers
- Independent Living Centers, as defined by the California Department of Rehabilitation
- Voting centers and vote tabulation facilities
Healthcare and Public Health Sector
- Public Health Departments
- Medical facilities including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, nursing homes, blood banks, health care facilities, dialysis centers and hospice facilities (excluding doctors’ offices and other non-essential facilities)
- Cooling (or Warming) Centers
- Temporary facilities established for public health emergencies
Energy Sector
- Public and private utility facilities vital to maintaining or restoring normal service, including, but not limited to, interconnected publicly-owned utilities and electric cooperatives
Water and Wastewater Systems Sector
- Facilities associated with the provision of drinking water or processing of wastewater, including facilities used to pump, divert, transport, store, treat and deliver water or wastewater
Communications Sector
- Communication carrier infrastructure including selective routers, central offices, head ends, cellular switches, remote terminals and cellular sites
Chemical Sector
- Facilities associated with the provision of manufacturing, maintaining, or distributing hazardous materials and chemicals
Food and Agriculture Sector
- Emergency Feeding Organizations, as defined in 7 U.S.C. § 7501
Transportation Systems Sector
- Facilities associated with automobile, rail, aviation, major public transportation, and maritime transportation for civilian and military purposes
- Traffic Management Systems
Additional Resources
For More Information:
Confirm your Critical Facilities Information
Use our web form to confirm your critical facility information.
Request a Back-Up Power Assessment**
Use our web form to request a back-up power assessment for your critical facility.
Designate Your Critical Facility
If you believe your business should be designated as a Critical Facility, please email our Critical Facilities and Infrastructure team at [email protected].
More Information
Visit sdge.com/psps and download the SDG&E Alerts mobile app.
*As outlined in Public Safety Power Shutoff Phase 1 Decision 19-05-042, Phase 2 Decision 20-05-051 and Phase 3 Decision 21-06-034. Note, these decisions are subject to change.
**SDG&E is not responsible for providing backup power before or during a de-energization.