Campus sites may be excluded from Tuesday’s planned power outage

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. has said that UC Santa Cruz sites, including the residential campus, may be excluded from Tuesday’s planned power outage. Instruction, academic activities, and regular operations are expected to continue, unless the situation changes. 

PG&E reports that power may go out to some areas of our region Tuesday night. Planned outages are dynamic and fluid situations. Community members should continue to check email and UCSC.edu/status for updates. Critical information will be shared via CruzAlert. 

Some areas of Santa Cruz County may still be without power, including the westside. Motorists and bicyclists should use extreme caution when driving in areas where stoplights are not working and anticipate additional congestion during peak travel times. 

On the coastline, beachgoers should be careful as a northwest swell will bring an increased risk of sneaker waves.

The campus community’s patience and commitment to fulfilling the university’s mission during these outages is deeply appreciated.

Regardless of the campus power situation, employees might be experiencing power outages at their homes. Managers should try to be flexible with employees. Employees should check with their manager or supervisor if they have specific questions or concerns about being able to make it to work due to their personal power circumstances. 

Safety first

The campus community should try to avoid using elevators during this possible power shutdown as a precaution.

Additionally, campus community members who live off campus should avoid going to any campus facilities if power is out.

Employees should remain in regular contact with their manager or supervisor about alternative plans should campus sites lose power.

The complex nature of the power grid means that UC Santa Cruz sites across the region may be affected differently. If the residential campus loses power, some parts of campus may remain online, powered by our cogeneration plant. Additionally, some buildings have backup generators in place to supply emergency lighting. Some buildings would be without power entirely. If power goes out, all events at affected sites will be cancelled. 

UC Santa Cruz may proactively switch a number of buildings to independent power provided by our cogeneration plant. Researchers and staff are advised to take appropriate pre-emptive and cautionary measures to protect critical equipment at any site. 

For campus preparedness information, visit the Office of Emergency Services Public Safety Power Shutdown Utility Failure resource page, which includes information about:

• Personal preparedness tips and resources
• Disability resources
• CruzAlert
• Campus media and communication system impacts
• Buildings and grounds impacts
• Teaching and administrative business continuity
• Suggested media resources 

Everyone in the campus community is encouraged to keep monitoring email and ucsc.edu/status for regular updates as the campus resumes regular operations. Any urgent information will be sent via CruzAlert.