Power back in downtown Sacramento after blown transformer knocks out lights, delays Legislature

A failed transformer kept the power out for several hundred Sacramento Municipal Utility District customers Thursday morning, including at California’s state Capitol.

The electrical outage affected businesses and homes in the downtown area east and north of the Capitol, and south of F Street between 13th and 23rd streets. The outage also delayed the start of the legislative session Thursday.

According to the Associated Press, the outage delayed the start of the Assembly until 9:30 a.m. The state Senate planned moved to another building to hold committee meetings.

SMUD said a transformer in its downtown network vault blew out around midnight, affecting around 650 customers. Crews restored service just after 11 a.m., according to the utility’s social media page. The utility did not respond to messages for comment.

This story was originally published May 19, 2022 at 7:38 AM.