PG&E may cut power to parts of Mill Valley this afternoon over fire risk

What's happening: The County of Marin confirmed Tuesday that PG&E may shut off power to about 2,018 Mill Valley households starting today at 2pm, with restoration projected for tomorrow, Thursday, at 10am. PG&E cuts power preemptively when high winds could knock branches or debris into powerlines and spark a fire in dry conditions, and forecasters expect gusty winds and dry conditions across the area Wednesday.

That is a potential 20 hours without power. Nothing is final. PG&E is monitoring the weather and can cancel before the power goes off. The County is activating its de-energization response protocol, including AlertMarin notifications.

Why it matters: It would be a rare event here. PG&E's post-season reports to the state show no Marin shutoffs between 2021 and 2025. Parts of neighboring Sonoma, Napa, and Solano were all cut in 2024, but not in Marin. The National Weather Service fire-weather outlook places a High Risk zone for gusty west-to-northwest winds Wednesday that stretches from the coast inland to Mount Tam. That band runs right to the city's western edge, through Tam Valley and Muir Woods Park.

Where: The projected zone covers the Blithedale Canyon, Cascade Canyon, Middle Ridge and Muir Woods Park neighborhoods, then runs down into the western edge of downtown. Old Mill Park, the Mill Valley Public Library, the Throckmorton Theatre, and some stores on a stretch of Throckmorton Avenue sit inside it. Most of downtown stays clear on PG&E's current projection, including Lytton Square, the Miller Avenue businesses, and the Sunnyside and East Blithedale flats.

The library confirmed to the Briefing that it has no backup generator and would close if the power goes off, though it is not announcing a closure as of Tuesday night because the shutoff is not confirmed.

The context: The California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates PG&E, calls a shutoff a measure of last resort. According to the commission, electric equipment causes less than 10% of California wildfires but makes up roughly half of the most destructive ones, which is the reason it gave utilities the authority to cut power when strong winds threaten. The commission also acknowledges the tradeoff, saying shutoffs can leave communities without power and bring their own hardships, especially for vulnerable residents. The CPUC now penalizes utilities that mishandle these events. In November 2024, according to the commission, it fined PG&E about $1.75 million over how the company ran its 2021 shutoffs.

What's next: PG&E will confirm or cancel the shutoff as the weather develops and can update the timing or affected area at any point. The County will push updates through AlertMarin. Watch PG&E's outage map for your address status.

How to prepare: Sign up for alerts by texting ENROLL to 97633, and update your contact info with PG&E at 866-743-6589. A Community Resource Center opens at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, at noon today for charging and information. Residents wanting a hotel can use PG&E's outage discounts, 10 to 25% off at chains including Larkspur Landing, with codes and restrictions at pge.com. Seniors and vulnerable residents can reach the County line at 415-473-INFO. Call 911 only for a medical or life-threatening emergency. The City of Mill Valley also has information on preparing for a Public Safety Power Shutoff.

The Tam Valley district board adopted a new use policy for Eastwood Park's tennis and pickleball courts at its July 8 meeting, on a 4-0-1 vote with Director Jim Jacobs absent. The policy splits the two courts, one for pickleball and one for tennis, with an exception letting tennis players use an empty pickleball court while waiting, as long as they clear out within 10 minutes of two pickleball players showing up.

According to Tamalpais Community Service District (TCSD) Assistant General Manager Alan Shear, the whole process started with a single resident who emailed the district and later spoke to the Parks and Recreation Commission, and no organized pickleball or tennis group was involved on either side.

Down the road in Larkspur, the same tennis-versus-pickleball tension played out at a much bigger scale. The City Council approved its own fix on July 1 for four courts at Piper Park, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, after pushback from a pickleball community the paper put at around 300 players. A city-appointed working group met three times before the council passed over both that group's compromise and the Parks and Recreation Commission's own recommendation, instead adopting a plan that carves one dedicated pickleball court and one flex court out of what used to be all tennis.

Larkspur's new signage goes up once the city finishes resurfacing the courts this fall. Eastwood's signs, reflecting the new rules, went up this week.

📨 Know anyone who plays tennis or pickleball? Forward this newsletter to them.

The Milley Awards named their 2026 recipients last night, with the honorees announced by the Milley Awards Executive Committee at the Arts Commission meeting. It's the 35th year of the awards, which recognize creative achievement by Mill Valleyans.

Abby Wasserman, a Mill Valley native and former Arts Commissioner, proposed the original creative achievement award in 1987. The event grew into the Milleys in 1995, when the committee expanded it to honor up to five people a year across disciplines.

This year's awardees are:

Daly is a musician, songwriter and producer who has made Mill Valley his creative base for five decades, collaborating with local artists including Marty Balin and Tim Hockenberry.

Panzarella, a 50-year resident, specializes in chalk paintings on asphalt that have earned acclaim across the US, Europe and Asia.

Andrews, a journalist and magazine editor, wrote The Story of Home: Tales of Longing and Belonging.

Narelle, a writer, actor and animator, was supervising animator on Korty/Lucasfilm's Twice Upon a Time, starred in the cult film Dark Star and created the San Diego Chicken mascot.

Valentino served as a Mill Valley Arts Commissioner across multiple terms between 2017 and 2026 and helped establish the city's first formal Public Art Policy.

The gala event, featuring a wine reception, buffet dinner and awards program, will be held Sunday, October 18 at the Mill Valley Community Center. More info here. We'll have more on the winners in future editions.