Dear LBNL Colleagues,
Today, PG&E notified us that the Lab’s main hill site is within an area that will be subject to another Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) beginning as early as tomorrow morning, October 29, due to strong winds forecast to occur from Tuesday morning through midday Wednesday.
Berkeley Lab’s main hill site will remain closed tomorrow, Tuesday, October 29 and Wednesday, October 30. Power remains out, and the site is in a safe and stable condition. The Lab’s offsite locations, including JGI in Walnut Creek, remain open today. At this time, we do not know if the Lab’s offsite locations will also be affected by the new PSPS expected for Tuesday and Wednesday. For work locations on the UC Berkeley campus, refer to instructions from https://news.berkeley.edu. We will keep you updated as we learn more.
Power outages: To determine if your home may lose power, consult PG&E’s PSPS address look-up tool: https://psps.ss.pge.com/
Remote work: Given the uncertainty of when power will be restored at the Lab’s main hill site, staff assigned to work at the site should discuss remote work options for the next few days with their supervisors. I appreciate everyone’s patience during this period.
EOC staffing: As we communicated yesterday, we have shifted to minimum staffing in the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and have further restricted access to the main hill site. More information on who is permitted on the site is found in the second question of the Frequently Asked Questions.
Safe restart: When PG&E restores power to the main hill site, operations staff will work as quickly as possible, on rotating 12-hour shifts, to execute the Lab’s power restoration plans in a safe and orderly manner. We will keep you updated throughout this process.
Environmental smoke: Air quality in the Bay Area is poor today due to the drifting smoke from wildfires in the region. Protective measures, such as wearing a mask, are an individual choice. Consult with your personal health provider for more information if you have existing health issues. Here are resources to help you avoid the effects of environmental smoke.
Stay informed: Check for updates on status.lbl.gov, at 1-800-445-5830, and on a new Twitter account for Lab staff, users, and others: @LBNLstatus.
Michael Brandt
Deputy Director, Operations and
Chief Operating Officer