UPDATE (12:27 p.m.) - PG&E reports power was fully restored to the impacted customers by noon Thursday.
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UPDATE (11:17 a.m.) - As of 11:12 a.m., 2,195 PG&E customers remained without power in the Atascadero area Thursday.
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ORIGINAL STORY: A large power outage was impacting more than 3,000 customers in and around Atascadero Thursday morning.
According to PG&E, it began around 7:09 a.m. and was affecting customers along both sides of Highway 101 from Curbaril Avenue to near Vineyard Drive.
Shortly before 7:30 a.m., 3,079 customers were impacted. Restoration was expected around 1:15 p.m. Thursday.
PG&E spokesperson Carina Corral says the outage appears to be an Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS) outage, which triggers by an outside force like high winds or falling trees, and quickly turns off power to any connected customers down the line. They are mainly in place in high-fire risk areas.
Corral says a troubleman is on scene assessing the situation. "Crews will also start patrolling the line, looking for any hazards and making sure it’s safe to re-energize to restore power to all customers," she said.
