Contact: Pacific Power media hotline FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1-800-570-5838 Dec. 14, 2018
Heavy rain and potential flood forecast. Do you have your emergency kit ready?
National Weather Service forecasts a series of lows will bring heavy rain and potential flooding to the Pacific Northwest through next week.
PORTLAND, Ore. – As heavy rains move into the Northwest beginning Sunday, Pacific Power reminds its customers and the public to take precautions to stay safe and comfortable.
“We work hard to prevent outages, but heavy rain and wind make it difficult to predict when and where an outage will happen,” said David Lucas, vice president of operations. “Our crews will be out there during the thick of it to help get the lights back on, but their safety and the safety of the public is our number one priority.”
Pacific Power suggests these safety precautions:
“We encourage Pacific Power customers to text, call or notify us through our mobile app or website if they are experiencing an outage” said Barb Coughlin, vice president of customer service. “The more information we have from our customers, the quicker our crews can get to that location.”
Customers can report an outage via text messaging. Text OUT to 722797 to report an outage. Text STAT to 722797 to check the status of your outage.
Please visit the Pacific Power mobile app or website to update your outage alert preferences, email address and phone number. Keeping this information updated ensures you will be able to report outages and receive updates using these quick and easy options.
Download our mobile app (www.pacificpower.net/ya/app.html) to report power problems or get real time outage updates. Outage information is always available by viewing our outage maps on the mobile app and website at pacificpower.net.
Every home should have an Emergency Outage Kit that includes the following:
To ease the inconvenience of power outages and assist crews in restoring power, Pacific Power suggests the following tips and safety precautions:
Pacific Power also thanks customers in advance for their patience during power outages. Crews make every effort to keep outage durations to a minimum and to restore power safely and quickly.
Customers and media representatives can also track outages of any size online. Updates will be made as new information becomes available or at least every 15 minutes at pacificpower.net/outage.
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Contact: Drew Hanson, 503-813-6678
Dec. 13, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pacific Power’s Blue Sky customers are greening holiday lights with renewable energy
With Pacific Power’s customer-driven Blue Sky renewable energy program, holiday festivities in 12 communities are supported by renewable energy
PORTLAND, Ore. —From the Benton County Holiday Celebration to the downtown Portland Christmas lighting to the Madras Chamber of Commerce and City of Madras production of A Christmas Fantasy, communities throughout Oregon and Washington are getting support from Blue Sky participants to “green” the electricity used to power their holiday lights.
Together, these holiday lighting displays are being “greened” with about 195 megawatt hours of renewable energy. The impact of this effort allows communities to reduce their carbon footprint tied to their holiday lights’ electricity use by a combined 176,246 pounds of CO2.*
“Powering lights for community holiday celebrations is a century-old tradition for Pacific Power.” said Berit Kling, Blue Sky program manager. “Blue Sky customers have been “greening” the holiday lights in communities across the service area for more than 10 years. It’s a great way to join in the holiday festivities while raising awareness for the value of renewable energy.”
Communities greening their holiday light displays this year include:
Pacific Power customers can also celebrate the season by greening their own homes and businesses. Through Blue Sky, customers can choose to support renewable energy equal to all or part of their energy use and start reducing their carbon footprint today.
“Blue Sky customers support wind, solar and other renewable sources,” said Kling. “The program helps customers reduce their carbon footprint and helps drive demand for more renewable energy in our region. While Pacific Power is always bringing more renewable energy into our basic service mix, some customers want to do more now and Blue Sky gives those customers a chance to match up to 100 percent of their energy use with renewable energy today.”
Last year, Blue Sky participants supported more than 777,000,000 kilowatt-hours of renewable energy and reduced their combined carbon footprints by 318,674 tons of CO2. Together, they supported enough renewable energy to travel from the Oregon coast to the tip of Maine 350,298 times in an electric vehicle.*
You can join more than 125,000 current Blue Sky participants by calling Pacific Power at 1-800-769-3717 or by visiting www.pacificpower.net/bluesky. Blue Sky is an opt-in program. You can increase participation or withdraw at any time.
* Environmental benefits derived by comparing the Blue Sky mix with Green-e Residual Mix Emission Rates for US Customers (WECC) April 2017. Green-e Energy does not certify or verify carbon emissions claims or methodologies for calculating emissions related to biomass. * EV electricity consumption based on 2015 average efficiency of top-selling US EV brands (see https://energy.gov/downloads/egallon-methodology)
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About Blue Sky
Blue Sky has ranked in the top five nationally for the number of customers participating and for renewable power sales volume. The program is Green-e Energy certified, which means the renewable energy supported meets the rigorous national environmental and consumer-protection standards established by the nonprofit Center for Resource Solutions. For more information or to join over 125,000 Pacific Power customers participating in the Blue Sky program, visit www.pacificpower.net/bluesky.
About Pacific Power
Pacific Power provides electric service to more than 740,000 customers in Oregon, Washington and California. Our goal is to provide our customers with value for their energy dollar, and safe, reliable electricity. Pacific Power is part of PacifiCorp, one of the lowest-cost electricity producers in the United States, with almost 1.9 million customers in six western states. For more information, visit www.pacificpower.net.
Contact: Pacific Power media hotline FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1-800-570-5838 Dec. 13, 2018
What is the winter forecast inside your home?
Meteorologists call for a mild winter with some cold snaps, but by Pacific Power’s conservation tips you can forecast savings for inside your home this season
Yakima, Wash. – It’s a law of physics. The colder it gets outside, the more energy it takes to keep your house warm. No one can change that basic equation, but there are steps you can take to keep energy bills from giving you the chills.
“You are battling the elements,” said Barb Coughlin, Pacific Power’s vice president for customer service. “Cold air sneaks in and warm air gets out. So the first thing you can do is seal all windows or doors before the cold really sets in. This can be done inexpensively now and the difference will show up once temperatures start dipping below freezing.”
Another way to help manage winter bills is to switch to Equal Pay. Under Equal Pay, energy costs are averaged out over the year, so bills are more predictable and manageable. Customers can enroll in Equal Pay online at pacificpower.net/equalpay, via the Pacific Power mobile app, or by phone at 1-888-221-7070.
“The sooner you call, the better for Equal Pay,” said Coughlin. “If you wait until the higher bills have already come, your average will have gone up, too. This program also helps if you have high cooling costs in the summer.”
Here are low-cost tips you can use today to battle cold weather:
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Contact: Pacific Power media hotline FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1-800-570-5838 Dec. 12, 2018
What is the winter forecast inside your home?
Meteorologists call for a mild winter with some cold snaps, but by using smart technology and Pacific Power’s energy tips you can forecast savings for your home this season
PORTLAND, Ore. – It’s a law of physics. The colder it gets outside, the more energy it takes to keep your house warm. New home technology can help offset that equation with insights that give you more control over your usage and energy bill.
This year, Pacific Power began upgrading more than 630,000 customers in Oregon and California to smart meters, bringing a new opportunity for winter savings. The nearly 350,000 customers who now have an activated new meter can tap into tools to help them better manage their energy use. Having a smart meter enables customers to view their daily and hourly electricity usage via their online account, and empowers them to make informed choices to help control their bills.
Customers with a smart meter can also set up a bill threshold and sign up to receive alerts when their bills are projected to exceed their chosen threshold. With this feature, customers get a text or email notifying them so they can make adjustments to their usage or budget, as needed.
“Technology can be a great way for customers to get in front of what can be a time of seasonally higher energy bills,” said Barb Coughlin, Pacific Power’s vice president for customer service. “Lower-tech options are also helpful, like sealing all windows or doors before the cold really sets in. This can be done inexpensively now and the difference will show up once temperatures start dipping below freezing.”
Another way to help manage winter bills is to switch to Equal Pay. Under Equal Pay, energy costs are averaged out over the year, so bills are more predictable and manageable. Customers can enroll in Equal Pay online at pacificpower.net/equalpay, via the Pacific Power mobile app, or by phone at 1-888-221-7070.
“The sooner you call, the better for Equal Pay,” said Coughlin. “If you wait until the higher bills have already come, your average will have gone up, too. This program also helps if you have high cooling costs in the summer.”
Here are low-cost tips you can use today to battle cold weather:
You can save even more energy by taking a longer-range view of your energy use. In Oregon, Pacific Power teams up with Energy Trust of Oregon to offer energy efficiency consultation and cash incentives to upgrade your home and save energy and money. Visit bewattsmart.com or call the Energy Trust toll free at 1-866-368-7878 to learn more about qualifications and services.
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Contact: Pacific Power media hotline FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1-800-570-5838 Nov. 30, 2018
Helpful tips to prepare for winter weather from Pacific Power
Check your Emergency Outage Kit now, then download app to stay up to date
PORTLAND, Ore. – Winter weather is beginning to settle in across the Pacific Northwest. Pacific Power is urging its customers and the public to take precautions to stay safe and comfortable.
“Storm season can cause significant damage to the electrical grid,” said David Lucas, vice president, operations. “One way we minimize interruptions to your electric service despite the storms is by paying close attention to trees near power lines. In 2018, we pruned 265,000 trees on 5,700 miles of lines investing more than $29 million to remove hazards and make the lines more resilient. Based on experience, we’ve anticipated and prepared for this weather and the outages that could occur by staging crews and equipment strategically so that we are able to deploy them where they are needed when the time comes.”
When outages occur, Pacific Power is ready to keep customers informed of efforts to restore service and get them through an outage.
“We are ready to assist you whenever you need help with your electric needs,” said Barb Coughlin, vice president of customer service. “Reporting outages and receiving updates is easier than ever. Outages can be reported via the website, through our mobile app, or by telephone at 1-877-508-5088.”
New this year is the ability to report an outage via text messaging. Text OUT to 722797 to report an outage. Text STAT to 722797 to check the status of your outage.
Please visit our mobile app or website to update your outage alert preferences, email address and phone number. Keeping this information updated ensures you will be able to report outages and receive updates using these quick and easy options.
Download our mobile app (www.pacificpower.net/ya/app.html) to report power problems or get real time outage updates. Outage information is always available by viewing our outage maps on the mobile app and website at pacificpower.net.
Every home should have an Emergency Outage Kit that includes the following:
To ease the inconvenience of power outages and assist crews in restoring power, Pacific Power suggests the following tips and safety precautions:
Pacific Power also thanks customers in advance for their patience during power outages. Crews make every effort to keep outage durations to a minimum and to restore power safely and quickly.
Customers and media representatives can also track outages of any size online. Updates will be made as new information becomes available or at least every 15 minutes at pacificpower.net/outage.
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Nov. 20, 2018
Media hotline: 1-800-570-5838 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Transmission structure replacement planned for Cannon Beach area Nov. 27-30
Work to be done at night, resulting in power interruptions
CANNON BEACH, Ore. – As part of an effort to improve service and reliability to coastal customers, Pacific Power will be replacing transmission structures in the Cannon Beach area from Nov. 27-30. The work will be done at night and requires power to be interrupted to 2,800 Cannon Beach customers during the following dates and times.
11 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 27 to 5 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018
11 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 28 to 5 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018
11 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 29 to 5 a.m. Friday, Nov. 30, 2018
Work will take place at the junction of Highways 101 and 26 and south along Highway 101 to Arch Cape. Customers in these areas have been notified individually about the outage. Hospitality operators should inform their guests of the outage as well. Street lights will be out in the area and Pacific Power reminds anyone traveling in this area during the outage to be extra cautious.
“Thank you in advance to our customers for your patience during the planned outages,” said Alisa Dunlap, Pacific Power regional business manager. “Replacing the transmission structures will improve reliability for the long-term. I also want to thank local businesses, Cannon Beach Chamber and the city council for working closely with us on planning these outages for minimal impact to the community.”
If customers have questions about the planned outage, please call Pacific Power at 1-888-221-7070. Outages outside of the designated work area and schedule should be reported to Pacific Power at 1-877-508-5088.
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Media Contact: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Todd Andres, Pacific Power Nov. 19, 2018
541-883-7889
Maya Escareno, KLCAS Energy Coordinator
541-882-3500 ex. 814
gy@KLCAS.org">energy@KLCAS.org
Let your neighbors feel the warmth
Pacific Power and the Klamath & Lake Community Action Services team up to collect blankets for residents needing help to stay warm
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore – Too many families in Klamath and Lake counties need to choose between staying warm, staying fed and paying other bills. You can help see them through the coming cold season by donating new (or gently used) blankets.
“We all know some neighbors who are at risk each winter,” said Maya Escareno, energy coordinator of KLCAS. “Again this year we are teaming up with Pacific Power to help as many people as we can get through winter safe and warm. Our goal is to deliver at least 100 blankets to people who really need them.”
“We’re asking people to buy new blankets or package up some gently used ones and drop them off at any of the collection locations,” said Todd Andres, regional business manager for Pacific Power.
Bring the donations to the Pacific Power Operations Center, 1950 Mallard Lane. Donations will be accepted 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the week through Jan. 1.
Donation drops will also be at:
Klamath Falls Chamber of Commerce
South Portal Building
205 Riverside Dr. Klamath Falls
Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Hope Lutheran Church
2314 Homedale Dr, Klamath Falls
Monday – Thursday, and Sunday 8 a.m. to noon
If your office would like to collect blankets and have us pick them up, please arrange with Todd Andres at 541-883-7889 for more information.
After all the donations are collected, KLCAS will distribute the blankets to households that need help. Contact KLCAS to apply for assistance at 541-882-3500.
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About Pacific Power
Pacific Power is headquartered in Portland, and provides electric service to more than 740,000 customers in Oregon, Washington and California. It is part of PacifiCorp, one of the lowest-cost electricity producers in the United States, providing 1.8 million customers with value for their energy dollar and safe, reliable electricity. For more information, visit pacificpower.net.