SF small business owners file class action lawsuit against PG&E after December outages

February 3, 2026 - 05:18

A group of San Francisco small business owners has filed a class action lawsuit against Pacific Gas and Electric, alleging the utility's widespread power outages in December caused severe and preventable financial damage. The suit, filed in San Francisco Superior Court, focuses on a series of outages that plagued the city's Sunset District during the critical holiday shopping season.

The plaintiffs argue that PG&E failed to properly maintain and upgrade its infrastructure, leading to multiple outages that left businesses in the dark and unable to operate. These disruptions, occurring during what is typically one of the most profitable periods for retailers and restaurants, resulted in substantial losses from spoiled inventory, lost sales, and forced closures.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages to compensate the affected businesses for their losses. It represents a significant legal challenge from a community claiming that unreliable power service directly threatens the viability of neighborhood commerce. The case highlights growing frustration with utility reliability and its tangible impact on local economies, as businesses continue to recover in a challenging financial landscape. PG&E has not yet issued a formal statement regarding the new litigation.