Pipe Break Floods Substation, Cuts Power to 15,000 in Yuba County

Incident at New Colgate Powerhouse leaves thousands without electricity

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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A pipe break at the New Colgate Powerhouse in Yuba County, California flooded a nearby PG&E substation, causing a widespread power outage that affected around 15,000 customers in the region.

Why it matters

Power outages can have significant impacts on communities, disrupting daily life, commerce, and critical services. This incident highlights the importance of maintaining aging infrastructure and the need for resilient energy systems to withstand unexpected failures.

The details

The pipe break at the New Colgate Powerhouse caused flooding that damaged the nearby PG&E substation, leading to the widespread power outage. PG&E crews are working to assess the damage and restore electricity to the affected areas as soon as possible.

  • The pipe break occurred on February 14, 2026 at the New Colgate Powerhouse.

The players

PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, the utility provider responsible for restoring power to the affected customers.

New Colgate Powerhouse

A power generation facility located in Yuba County, California.

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What’s next

PG&E crews are working to assess the damage and restore power to the affected areas as soon as possible.

The takeaway

This incident underscores the need for proactive maintenance and investment in critical infrastructure to ensure reliable power delivery and minimize the impact of unexpected failures on local communities.