New PG&E Partnership With 211 Enhances Support And Access To Resources During Periods Of Critical Need

With September being National Preparedness Month, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE) announce a joint agreement with the 211 California Network, which will provide emergency preparedness support for customers during Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS).

211 will serve as the network’s operator, directly connecting customers to local community-based organizations who provide assistance with transportation and shelter needs, portable backup power, home meal delivery, food replacement, bill assistance programs, and support for those who may have physical, intellectual or developmental disabilities. The service will be available to customers 24 hours-per-day during PSPS events, which occur when power is shut off temporarily to avoid the risk of catastrophic wildfires.

Through the 211 California Network, customers of California’s two largest utility companies will have the ability to call or text 211 during PSPS events to facilitate connections with local resources.

When not aiding during PSPS, 211 will focus on outreach to at-risk customers, including those living in high-fire-risk areas who are eligible for income-qualified assistance programs and rely on life-sustaining medical equipment.

The focus during these periods will be to evaluate these customers’ resiliency plans, connect them with existing programs that can help them prepare for outages and to assist them in completing applications for these programs.

The agreement with 211 will provide opportunities for customers throughout the state to have enhanced information awareness and resource availability. By expanding the 211 California Network, some community resources that were previously available in only select areas may now be accessible to those who they would have otherwise been unavailable to.

To get connected and get help through the free, confidential referral hotline, dial 2-1-1. Customers can also log onto 211.org for more information. 211 is available 24/7 in more than 300 languages.