Valentine’s Day celebrations often include gifts such as metallic balloons, but Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is urging customers to take precautions to prevent power outages. The company has reported that metallic balloons, which are highly conductive, can cause outages when they come into contact with overhead power lines.
In 2025, nearly 350 outages across PG&E’s service area in Northern and Central California were attributed to metallic balloons. These incidents affected about 165,000 customers and disrupted service to homes, businesses, traffic signals, schools, and hospitals. PG&E emphasizes that these outages are preventable.
“One rogue metallic balloon can darken an entire neighborhood in seconds. While some might say a Valentine’s Day power outage adds extra romance to the evening, most find it frustrating and inconvenient. This holiday, customers can help keep the lights on by securing metallic balloons with a weight and never releasing them outdoors,” said Ron Richardson, PG&E Vice President of Electric Distribution Operations.
California law requires that metallic balloons be tied to a weight. PG&E reminds customers that taking simple safety steps—such as keeping balloons indoors or ensuring they are properly secured—can make a significant difference during the holiday period when balloon use is at its highest.
PG&E also provides an example of what happens when metallic balloons hit utility lines through this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqFm52C1n5Q
Pacific Gas and Electric Company serves more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. More information about the company can be found at pge.com and pge.com/news.
For further details or multimedia content related to this announcement: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/this-valentines-day-keep-the-love-flowing–not-the-outages-says-pge-302682809.html
