Public Safety Power Shutoffs
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Be sure Avista has your current contact information so we can reach you concerning potential outages. To update your information, visit myavista.com/profile or call us at (800) 227-9187.
Avista is fighting wildfires before they happen.
During dry weather and high winds, there is a risk that trees, branches, and debris can come in contact with Avista’s power lines and other electrical equipment. This could trigger a spark that ignites a wildfire. Avista developed its Public Safety Power Shutoff plan (PSPS) to lower this risk. PSPS lets us turn off power to select areas when extreme weather makes our equipment unsafe to operate. PSPS is only considered when the risk of a fire is extreme. Avista employs analytic tools to monitor and predict the weather seven days out to enable informed decisions. Information from ground resources and emergency management agencies is also used.
View the 2024 Public Safety Power Shutoff Plan
Watch this video to learn more about PSPS
Speaker 1: Avista is strengthening its efforts to prevent, mitigate, and minimize the impact of wildfires.
We've included Public Safety Power Shutoffs or PSPS in our Wildfire Resiliency Plan. When extreme fire conditions occur, such as strong winds, debris can hit our equipment, potentially causing wildfires.
Our PSPS Plan involves the use of predictive tools, weather monitoring, and input from emergency resources to make informed decisions, including the proactive de-energizing of electrical facilities during unsafe weather conditions.
We notify our customers before, during, and after a PSPS event, allowing time to prepare. After the danger passes, our crews inspect lines manually or with drones before restoring power segment by segment.
This thorough process may lead to extended outages, but safety is our priority. Visit myavista.com/wildfire to learn more about our wildfire prevention measures.
Watch this Public Safety Power Shutoff patrol video.
Speaker 1: During dry weather and high winds, there's a risk that trees, branches, and debris can come in contact with Avista power lines and other electrical equipment. This could trigger a spark that ignites a wildfire. Avista developed a Public Safety Power Shutoff Plan or PSPS to lower this risk. PSPS lets us turn off the power to select areas when extreme weather makes our equipment unsafe to operate. To ensure public safety, our restoration process during a PSPS event is much different than a typical power outage. Sometimes the power is shutoff to a section of line in-person at the source. We can also shut the power off remotely from our control room. After the danger has passed, our crews are required to inspect the lines manually or with drones before restoring power segment by segment. During a PSPS event, this process can take longer.
Equipped with the latest technology and tools, crews look for any potential hazards such as debris, downed lines, or damaged equipment that could spark a fire. This thorough process may lead to extended outages, but safety is our priority. Once the line is patrolled and it is deemed safe, the section of line is re-energized. Since every neighborhood's electric system is a little different, it's common to see power restored at one residence while a nearby neighbor remains without power. Rest assured, our crews work around the clock until all power is restored. Communication is key. Our linemen stay in constant contact with our operations center, providing real-time updates and ensuring a coordinated response. If any issues are found, our linemen are trained to make immediate repairs, restoring power as quickly and safely as possible. At Avista, we are committed to protecting our communities. Our crews work tirelessly to keep you safe and ensure that power is restored after a PSPS event. Visit myavista.com/wildfire to learn more about our wildfire prevention measures.
We are committed to notifying customers and communities before, during, and after a PSPS event. Whenever possible, allowing time to prepare for a power disruption. Conditions can change quickly, but we aim to keep those affected as well-informed as we can based on the situation.
FAQs
Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) means turning off power to select areas when extreme weather makes our equipment unsafe to operate. Public Safety Power Shutoffs are only considered when the risk of a fire is exceptionally high.
During dry weather and high winds, there is a risk that trees, branches, or debris can come in contact with Avista’s power lines and other electrical equipment. This could trigger a spark that ignites a fire. Avista monitors conditions closely and makes changes to our settings throughout the hottest months of the year. These enhanced protection settings are the right mitigation for most of the weather we see in our service territory. PSPS is reserved for the most extreme wind and weather conditions.
Avista crews will physically patrol all impacted overhead electric facilities once the weather event has subsided. Avista’s facilities cannot be re-energized until all lines are thoroughly inspected. After inspections, lines are re-energized segment by segment.
We are committed to notifying customers and communities before, during, and after a PSPS event whenever possible, allowing time to prepare for a power disruption. Conditions can change quickly, but we aim to keep those affected as well-informed as we can based on the situation. Please make sure your information is up to date with Avista so we can notify you of a potential outage.
Avista’s outage map, located at myavista.com/outage, will indicate which areas are impacted by a PSPS event. We plan to notify impacted customers when restoration has begun.
Power will remain shut off as long as the threat of wildfire is present. When the threat has passed, crews will patrol the lines to visually check for damage before the power is turned back on.
It's hard to predict how long this process might take. It depends heavily on when conditions return to normal and the amount of damage crews discover. We will work as quickly and as safely as possible to restore power. Given that outages could last several hours or even days, we encourage customers to have an outage plan in place.
No, customers are only charged for the energy they use. During a service disruption, there is no energy consumption being registered by the meter.
Visit myavista.com/wildfire to learn more and to download our current Wildfire Resiliency Plan.
We are taking a proactive approach to prevent contact between trees/vegetation and power lines in your area. We want to partner with you, as a landowner, to replace trees on your property that could come into contact with our lines, at no cost to you. Visit myavista.com/wildfire to learn.
In the event of an emergency, call 911. You can reach Avista at (800) 227-9187.
Visit myavista.com/outage or call (800) 227-9187 for more information. 2-1-1 services in both Washington and Idaho are available to help support during outage events. Dial 211 or (877) 211-9274 in Washington or 211 or (800) 926-2588 in Idaho.
We will also be operating Community Resource Centers (CRCs) to provide support during PSPS events. The CRCs will be located near the impacted area and will provide water, snacks, device charging, and information regarding the PSPS outage.
Visit myavista.com/outage to view our outage map. If you have questions, please call us at (800) 227-9187.
Your gas service should not be affected, and you do not need to turn your gas off during a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event. The PSPS program is focused on turning off electric lines for safety. Your gas appliances should work unless they require electricity to operate.
No, it is not necessary to sign in to view outage information. Information, when available, will be displayed on our outage map at myavista.com/outage.
Visit myavista.com/outage for more information. Please call us at (800) 227-9187 if you have questions related to an outage.