Many shops across Julian, were left in the dark Thursday thanks to a planned power outage by SDG&E.

who have been replacing power poles in the east county. For Julian business owners that meant becoming creative to meet the needs of customers.

While some managed to get creative when dealing with the lack of electricity to run modern technology, others chose to close up shop for the day.

"It's the busiest time of the year. I think it would be better if they could work with the community when they should do it - it would be more helpful for us," said Rick Campbell.

SDG&E said it is replacing traditional power poles in places like Alpine, Ramona and Julian with fire-resistant steel poles. The company further added that this time of year works best for crews doing the work.