Power restored in Josephine, Del Norte counties - 06/19/18

Power restored in Josephine, Del Norte counties

GRANTS PASS, Ore.--About 64,000 Pacific Power customers were without electricity Tuesday morning after a transmission substation in Grants Pass was damaged by onsite construction work. A full investigation is ongoing.

The outage, which affected communities from Rogue River to Merlin to Cave Junction to Crescent City started at 9:07 a.m. and was restored at 9:39 a.m. Crews were quickly able to reroute power to restore service. Work continues on the repairs to the line.

“We want to thank our customers for their patience,” said Christina Kruger, regional business manager for Pacific Power in southern Oregon.  "We were able to restore power quickly, but we realize being without electricity is an inconvenience even for a short time.”

PacifiCorp wins national award for land conservation - 06/12/18

PacifiCorp wins national award for land conservation

Recreational, Environmental, & Historical Enhancement Award recognizes PacifiCorp for preserving 5,000 acres for wildlife habitat in Southwest Washington

 

PORTLAND, Ore.—PacifiCorp has won a 2018 Outstanding Stewards of America’s Waters (OSAW) Recreational, Environmental, & Historical Enhancement Award for its efforts in land preservation and environmental stewardship on the Lewis River in Southwest Washington. The annual recognition is made by The National Hydropower Association (NHA).

 

PacifiCorp--a utility serving approximately 1.9 million customers in Oregon, Washington, California, Utah, Wyoming and Idaho--won the OSAW Award in the Recreational, Environmental, & Historical Enhancement category for its Land Acquisition for Wildlife Habitat Mitigation in the North Fork Lewis River Basin project accomplished in partnership with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

 

When PacifiCorp created the Merwin, Yale and Swift dams along the north fork of the Lewis River in Washington beginning in the 1930s, more than 12,000 acres of wildlife habitat was inundated. At that time the company committed to protecting and managing land surrounding its hydropower operations on the Lewis River, and in 2008 decided to protect additional habitat during relicensing...

 

“PacifiCorp went above and beyond to protect the habitat around its three hydropower facilities,” the NHA says. “It showed a true commitment to protecting the local habitat and the wildlife that need the land to thrive. We’re thrilled to recognize PacifiCorp’s efforts.”

 

In 2017, the utility successfully completed the purchase of a fifth parcel of land, resulting in 15,162 total acres of wildlife mitigation lands in the Lewis River basin.

 

“The dams had inundated about 12,000 acres of land,” says Kendel Emmerson, senior environmental scientist for PacifiCorp. “We've exceeded that amount of land and given back to Washington what we had removed by the water.”

 

“The acquisition of another 1,880 acres of wildlife habitat above Swift Reservoir highlights PacifiCorp’s ongoing commitment to conserving wildlife habitat and creating public access for hunting and other recreational activities,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer. “We appreciate the opportunity to work together in a way that furthers our conservation mission of ensuring the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage.”

 

For more information about PacifiCorp’s environmental stewardship, https://poweringgreatness.com/betterfuture/

 

NHA’s OSAW Awards aim to recognize deserving organizations and reflect the changing nature of the hydropower industry, particularly the fact that hydropower can be used in various waterways. OSAW Awards are given out in three distinct categories: Operational Excellence; Recreational, Environmental & Historical Enhancement; and Public Education. PacifiCorp won in the Recreational, Environmental, & Historical Enhancement category, which honors projects that provide enhanced recreational opportunities for the general public; offer measurable benefits that mitigate, conserve, preserve, or enhance the natural resources; or conserve historical aspects of hydropower facilities and their integration with the surrounding community.

 

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Don't fall for phone scams - 06/07/18

Media inquiries: Media Hotline 800-570-5838

Don’t fall for phone scams

 

YAKIMA, Wash.—June 7, 2018--Pacific Power is reminding customers to be aware of phone scams that target customers.

 

In the last week, 20 customers in the Yakima area have reported receiving fraudulent calls from scammers posing as utility representatives. The callers, who have targeted small businesses and residential customers, insist that the customer is behind on payments. They then threaten that, without an immediate payment, service will be disconnected.

 

Customers can protect themselves from these types of schemes by being aware of the following signs that indicate fraudulent calls:

 

• If the caller says he is with the “Pacific Power Disconnection Department.” No such department exists.  
• Don’t be deceived. Even if the Caller ID on your phone reads out 888-221-7070, our customer service line, don’t be deceived.  The scammers are technically sophisticated and able to put out false numbers on caller ID in order to make their call seem more credible.
• If the caller asks for your credit card number or advises you to purchase a pre-paid card from a store and to call back with the code. Pacific Power will not ask for this information.  Pacific Power has numerous ways in which you can pay your bill.  Pacific Power will never direct you to use a specific way to pay.  We can facilitate credit card payments through our vendor upon your request, but our employees don’t handle these payments directly.
• If the caller claims your electric service will be disconnected if you don’t make a payment immediately, particularly if you haven’t received any prior notice about late payments or a potential disconnection. We don’t threaten our customers. Instead, we work with customers who are behind on their payments to help them get back on track. Generally, a series of notices about past due bills is sent to customers in the mail or delivered to their home, or they receive an automated phone message.

 

If you receive one of these scam calls, ask the caller to state your account number and compare it with the number listed on your bill. Be careful not to give your account number to them. Pacific Power customer service employees will always have your account number.

Remember, if you still have concerns about the legitimacy of a call, you can always hang up on the suspected scammer and call Pacific Power at our published customer service number, 1-888-221-7070. It’s a toll free call and we have customer service employees available around the clock.

If you receive a suspicious call, take note of the phone number the person is calling from and any information that may help to track down the crooks. Please call and let us know at 1-888-221-7070. 

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Cold, high water is a reason to take safety seriously this Memorial Day weekend - 05/24/18

Contact: Tom Gauntt,                                                                         FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PacifiCorp, 503-813-7291                                                                                           May 24, 2018

Cold, high water is a reason to take safety seriously this Memorial Day weekend

Pacific Power-owned recreational areas open and expected to be full

WOODLAND, Wash. –The summer recreation season kicks off this Memorial Day weekend with snowmelt creating high and cold water conditions on the popular Lewis River reservoirs and elsewhere.

Air temperatures may be rising, but water remains cold so it is a good time to observe safety precautions when boating or anytime you are near a river or lake.

• Always use a life jacket when on a floating device of any kind. Regulations require life jackets even while paddle boarding.
• Take care not to overload boats. The tendency is to think there is always room for one more, but too many people in a boat can compromise buoyancy and stability. Think safety first.
• All floating craft (including kayaks, canoes and paddle boards) should have a light source and a sound-making device to signal other craft.
• Take care on shorelines. Rocks can be slippery and muddy bottoms could cause waders to unexpectedly sink in and lose their balance. Wear insulated waders to protect from the cold waters.

As a courtesy, Pacific Power is working with local law enforcement to provide loaner life jackets on the Lewis River reservoirs. If you are about to launch and find you are a few life jackets short, staff at the boat launches can make sure you are safe.

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About PacifiCorp
PacifiCorp is one of the lowest-cost electricity producers in the United States, serving 1.8 million customers in the West. PacifiCorp operates as Pacific Power in Oregon, Washington and California, and as Rocky Mountain Power in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho. The company’s generating capability of more than 10,620 megawatts includes power from coal, hydro, gas-fired combustion turbines and renewable wind and geothermal facilities. The company works to meet growing energy demand while protecting and enhancing the environment.

Pacific Power brings smart meters to Jackson County this summer - 05/24/18

Pacific Power media hotline:                                      May 24, 2018 

1-800-570-5838                                                          FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

Pacific Power brings smart meters to Jackson County this summer

The new meters, installed free of charge, help shorten outages, provide daily usage data, and keep Oregon a leader in using clean, renewable energy.

 

MEDFORD, Ore. — Pacific Power is bringing more efficient and effective smart meters to residents and businesses of Jackson County, replacing thousands of aging electric meters throughout the summer months.

 

About 88,000 new meters will be installed in Butte Falls, Central Point, Eagle Point, Gold Hill, Jacksonville, Medford, Phoenix, Rogue River, Shady Cove, and Talent. The installations are set to begin the week of June 25 and will continue in the area through September. In all, Pacific Power will replace 590,000 meters in communities across the state from now through fall 2019. Installations in nearby Josephine County are scheduled to follow Jackson County this fall.

 

“We’re installing smart meters here in the Rogue Valley as part of a statewide upgrade for the homes and businesses we serve,” said Christina Kruger, Pacific Power’s regional business manager for Southern Oregon. “It’s a project that will enable the communities we serve to take advantage of faster, more efficient energy technology.”

 

The new smart meters will:

 

• Instantly track outages, meaning faster service response and shorter outages overall.
• Let customers view their power usage hour-by-hour, so they can adjust their activity to reduce both their carbon footprint and bill.
• Provide businesses with detailed usage reporting which will help them cut costs and make investments in items that help their businesses grow.
• Update the grid to work more efficiently and better integrate renewable power sources.

Nationwide, more than 70 million smart meters are installed at homes and businesses, which includes half of all households in the U.S. Smart meters are a key component to updating the energy grid originally built for technology from 100 years ago. They also help Pacific Power hold down operating costs, improve customer service and reliability while maintaining the highest standards of security and customer privacy.

“This free upgrade brings a future of reliable and efficient power to our region and to our state, “said Kruger. “We are connecting communities throughout Oregon, improving the way we power our customers’ lives both at home and at work.”

 

Access to daily energy usage information will be available to customers via a secure website. The near real-time energy usage information will let customers better understand what is driving their electric bills and help them make decisions that can save energy and money. This capability will come about six weeks after a new meter is installed.

 

Here’s what customers can expect during the installation process:

 

• Customers will be notified before installation through the mail and will receive detailed information about the new smart meters. Reminder calls will be made to customers as their scheduled installation date approaches.

 

• Pacific Power’s authorized installer, Aclara, will arrive between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. to make installations. Installers will drive vehicles and carry badges that identify them as an authorized contractor of Pacific Power. Unless an electric meter is inside, they will not need to enter customer homes or businesses.

 

• During the installation, Pacific Power technicians will remove the old meter, install the new meter, restore service and verify the new meter is working properly. This process will require a brief power outage (less than five minutes). The technicians will leave a door hanger to let customers know they were there, and successfully installed the new smart meter.
   
• Pacific Power will manually read the newly installed smart meters for at least one month to confirm everything is working correctly. After confirmation activities are complete in the area, meter reading will happen remotely.
   

• Approximately six weeks following the installation when all area installs are complete, customers can sign in to their Pacific Power account to access the newly available usage data. Customers can sign up for their web account here.

 

If customers have any concerns, have not received the proper series of notices or have any reason to think a notification is not legitimate, customers should hang up and call Pacific Power’s customer service at 1-800-221-7070 immediately to verify whether they are scheduled for an installation.

 

Additional information, including installation updates are available at www.pacificpower.net/smartmeter. Customers can also call 866-869-8520 for help with any questions.

 

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About Pacific Power
Pacific Power provides electric service to more than 740,000 customers in Oregon, Washington and California. The company works to meet growing energy demand while protecting and enhancing the environment. Pacific Power is part of PacifiCorp, one of the lowest-cost electricity producers in the United States, with 1.8 million customers in six western states Information about Pacific Power is available on the company’s website, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages, which can be accessed via pacificpower.net.