Power Restored to SF Opera House Amid Outages

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has urged for power to be restored at the city’s opera house, where his daughter is set to perform in the Nutcracker ballet. This comes during a challenging time for many residents facing power outages just before Christmas.

Lurie, who is connected to the Levi Strauss Jeans fortune and is a prominent figure in the local social scene, asked PG&E to send emergency generators to the San Francisco Opera House, as numerous areas in the city experienced outages. However, PG&E CEO Sumeet Singh later backed away from this claim at a Board of Supervisors hearing.

Documents acquired indicate that Lurie played a direct role in requesting backup power for the Nutcracker, a traditional holiday event popular among the city’s elite. War Memorial Opera House director Kate Sofis expressed gratitude in a December 21 email, noting the successful relocation of two large generators to support the ballet performance.

On the same day, PG&E representative Jake Ziegelman confirmed to Lurie that the company was making efforts to restore power to the Civic Center, which includes the opulent War Memorial and Davis Symphony Hall. Despite these efforts, about 20,000 homes and businesses remained without electricity.

Interestingly, that day Lurie announced that the 2 p.m. Nutcracker performance, featuring his daughter as Clara, was being powered by these generators. He mentioned that they had secured a temporary generator for the evening show as well.

Criticism arose regarding prioritizing the ballet amidst ongoing power outages affecting neighborhoods such as the Tenderloin and Richmond, where residents had been without power for up to 48 hours. One resident remarked, “The show must go on, but don’t think about the people who live in the area,” highlighting the disparity in treatment.

Another frustrated individual noted, “The self-styled elite of SF need the Nutcracker while the rest of us have lost power for over 24 hours.” Meanwhile, Singh clarified that the decision to provide power to the opera house was not solely a PG&E decision, indicating the mayor had requested it directly.

Recent outages were triggered by a fire at a power substation, which inflicted “significant and extensive damage” to PG&E’s equipment, leaving a significant portion of the city dark. The cause of the fire is still unconfirmed.

In response to the outages, small business owners in San Francisco have launched a class action lawsuit aiming to recover losses from the power disruption, which had a profound impact on their revenues and inventory.

Lurie, who succeeded former Mayor London Breed in 2024, is active on social media, showcasing the city’s various attractions. It’s noted that he spent close to $1 million on PR consultants last year alone.

A December video from the War Memorial captured Lurie expressing excitement for his daughter’s performance, while text messages revealed his interest in posting updates about the ongoing power situation.