SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Hundreds are still without power after an explosion at a Sacramento Municipal Utility District substation in downtown Sacramento Tuesday.
SMUD says they hope to have all power restored by Friday, but ABC10 learned that SMUD raised concerns about the substation years ago.
It comes as popular attractions like Old Sacramento are now in the dark. It's horrible timing for businesses, being just 10 days away from Christmas and being a time that would usually see holiday lights and lots of holiday shoppers.
This explosion had a major impact across the area, even the Sacramento County jail had to go on lockdown.
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"What I am most concerned about is the welfare of the people affected, our constituents, my constituents,” said Mayor Darrell Steinberg.
A SMUD report from November 2015 called for the substation to be rebuilt. SMUD said they have owned and operated the historic Station A since the 1940s and constructed the outdoor portion of the substation in the 1950s. The existing substation equipment is nearing the end of useful life and requires replacement, upgrade and additional space to maintain Station A as a reliable power source for downtown Sacramento.
While a cause for the explosion is still under investigation, city leaders are pledging to get answers.
“We always want to know what the cause was, but I’m confident in our public institutions. I’m confident in the great track record of SMUD, but of course we should know,” Steinberg said.
SMUD released a statement which can be read below.
"We perform inspections on the equipment inside Station A at least every two months, and no less than ten times each year. Station A was scheduled for inspection again this month."
You can read the full report by clicking HERE.
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