22.12.2025 09:46
A major power outage in San Francisco, USA, left more than 130,000 homes and businesses without electricity. The outage, caused by the explosion of a large transformer, resulted in all autonomous vehicles coming to a standstill. People were unable to intervene, and traffic came to a halt. Those moments were captured on camera second by second.
A widespread power outage occurred last night in San Francisco, affecting nearly one-third of the city. Approximately 130,000 homes and businesses were left without electricity, plunging many neighborhoods into darkness.
STATIONS OUT OF SERVICE
Due to the outage, restaurants and shops were closed, and the power failure caused disruptions in public transportation, leading to some stations being out of service. All autonomous vehicles suddenly stopped due to the power cut, resulting in long traffic queues.
The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management stated that there were disruptions in transportation throughout the city and advised citizens to avoid unnecessary travel.
RESULT OF A FIRE IN THE TRANSFORMER
In a statement from the local electricity distribution company Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), it was reported that part of the outage was caused by a fire in the transformer that resulted in significant damage. The statement indicated that an investigation into the source of the outage was ongoing and that efforts were being made to restore electricity, with approximately 110,000 customers having their power restored so far.
AUTONOMOUS TAXI SERVICE SUSPENDED
According to a report by CNBC, moments were shared on social media showing autonomous Waymo vehicles stranded in traffic due to the outage in San Francisco.
In a statement from Waymo, a company developed by Google's parent company Alphabet, it was announced that the autonomous vehicle ride-hailing service was suspended due to the outage in the San Francisco Bay area.
The statement noted that teams were continuing to work with city officials and expressed hope that services would resume soon.