PG&E to Graduates: Celebrate Safety by Securing Balloons with a Weight

Sponsored By PG&E It is graduation season in California Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) has an important reminder for the public about the safety risks associated with helium-filled metallic balloons. If your graduation celebration involves balloons, make sure they are secured with a weight. Otherwise, they can float away and come into contact with overhead power lines, causing a public safety risk. In the first four months of 2024, metallic balloons striking electric lines have caused nearly 112 power outages in the PG&E service area alone, disrupting service to more than 47,000 customers. This is a 30 percent increase from the same time period last year. “Metallic balloons have a silvery coating, which is a conductor for electricity. If the balloons float away and make contact with power lines, they can short transformers, cause power outages and melt electrical wires, causing public safety risks. We urge everyone to celebrate responsibly and secure metallic balloons with a weight,” said Peter Kenny, Senior Vice President of Electric Operations for PG&E. A few years ago, more than 6,000 San Francisco customers were without power after metallic balloons released during a graduation ceremony came into contact with overhead power lines. PG&E tends to...