POLL! Are You Going to Buy a Mylar Balloon for Your Sweetie and Blow Up the Power Grid This Valentine's Day, Despite PG&E Asking You Not to Do That?

Valentine’s Day brings flowers, candy and declarations of endless love — but it’s also when Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) tends to see an uptick in power outages caused by metallic balloons. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, PG&E reminds its customers that if they are celebrating with metallic balloons, make sure they are always tied to a weight – as required by California law – and to never release them outdoors.

Metallic balloons are highly conductive and can cause instant outages, damage electrical equipment and create dangerous conditions for the public and first responders. Unlike latex balloons, metallic balloons can stay inflated and airborne for weeks, increasing the risk they’ll collide with overhead power lines days — or even weeks — after a celebration ends.

In 2025, metallic balloons caused nearly 350 outages across PG&E’s service area in Northern and Central California, knocking out power to 165,000 customers and disrupting service to homes, businesses and essential community facilities such as traffic signals, schools and hospitals. These outages are preventable. The North Coast was hit hard in 2025 with 26 balloon-caused outages:

• Humboldt – six outages that knocked out power to 3,334 customers
• Sonoma – three outages that impacted 28 customers
• North Bay – 23 outages that knocked out power to 26,591 customers

“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 metallic balloons to be secured with a weight, but PG&E says simple precautions make a big difference — especially during Valentine’s Day celebrations when balloon use is at its peak.

Here’s an example of what can happen when metallic balloons hit utility power lines: