FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pacific Power Media Hotline: 1-800-570-5838 January 23, 2020
Pacific Power and Madras-JC Chamber of Commerce celebrate fast charging station grand opening with free event
Get an up-close look at electric vehicles, get a demonstration on EV charging, enjoy light refreshments and learn about the future of charging infrastructure in Oregon.
Madras, Ore. – Oregon has big plans for electric vehicles. The state has a goal to have 50,000 electric-fueled vehicles on Oregon’s highways and byways by the end of 2020. Pacific Power and the Madras-JC Chamber of Commerce have teamed up to ensure electric vehicle drivers have another fast, convenient place to power up during central Oregon journeys.
Pacific Power and Madras-JC Chamber of Commerce are hosting an electric vehicle celebration and ribbon cutting event on Wednesday, Jan. 29 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the new fast charging station located at 274 SW 4th Street in the Chamber parking lot. Attendees can get an up-close look at electric vehicles, get a demonstration on using the new charging station, enjoy light refreshments, speak with electric vehicle experts and learn how Pacific Power is investing in charging infrastructure throughout the state. Ribbon cutting will take place at 11:30 a.m.
“This is a great resource for travelers and local electric vehicle owners, since the chargers are located in the heart of downtown,” said Joe Krenowicz, executive director for Madras-JC Chamber of Commerce. “Drivers can stop into the Chamber office and pick up info on what’s happening in town while their electric car gets charged up. There are plenty of great shops, restaurants and parks all within a 10 minute walk as well.”
As the first dual standard charger in operation in the area, up to six electric vehicles can charge at once. All makes and models of electric vehicles can recharge using one of four fast chargers or choose a L2 dual port.
The strategically placed charging station is part of a larger effort on behalf of Pacific Power to ensure underserved rural communities have access to chargers, according to Matt Chancellor, regional business manager for Pacific Power. “More electric fuel options in Madras and beyond will ensure people get where they need to go. We’re grateful for partners like the Madras-JC Chamber that recognize the need for more charging options to help make the transition from combustion engines to electric vehicles easy and convenient for Oregonians.”
Event Details
What: Electric Vehicle Celebration and Charging Station Ribbon Cutting
When: Wednesday, Jan. 29 from 11 AM to 1 PM
Where: Madras-JC Chamber of Commerce, 274 SW 4th Street, Madras, OR 97741
Thanks to Madras-JC Chamber of Commerce, City of Madras, Chargeway, Forth and Subaru of Bend for their support in making this event possible.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 20, 2020
Media contact: 800-570-5838
Pacific Power crews restored service to approximately 1,000 customers last night with over 300 personnel continuing to make progress to restore remaining 500 customers
GRANTS PASS, ORE—Pacific Power restored service to approximately 1,000 customers last night– bringing the remaining customer count to approximately 500 – as crews made further progress clearing downed trees and making repairs. Damage from the destructive Jan. 16 winter storm left over 18,000 customers without service at its peak.
Pacific Power crews expect to see good restoration progress throughout today. The remaining pockets of outages are spread out from an area north of Grants Pass to south of Cave Junction, concentrated in the west side of Josephine County. Similar to previous days, repair work is taking place in difficult to reach, remote areas.
Estimates put full restoration by the end of Tuesday or possibly Wednesday for certain individual customers with a large majority of the remaining 500 customers impacted by the winter storm outages having service returned by late Monday evening.
“We are thankful for our customers’ patience and understanding as our crews and contract personnel made steady progress over the past few days to restore service,” said David Lucas, vice president of transmission and distribution.“
Pacific Power encourages customers to report outages by calling 1-877-508-5088 or text OUT to 722797. Text STAT to 722797 to check the status of your outage. Customers and media representatives can also track outages of any size online. Updates will be made as new information becomes available or at least hourly at pacificpower.net/outage.
To ease the inconvenience of power outages and assist crews in restoring power, Pacific Power suggests the following tips and safety precautions:
- Stay away from all downed power lines and utility lines. Even if the lines are not sparking, they could be energized and extremely dangerous. Call 911 and report the outage to Pacific Power at 1-877-508-5088.
- Don’t drive over downed power lines.
- Turn on your porch light. After crews complete repairs, they patrol the area of the power failure to see if any lights are still out
- Check on your neighbors, especially those who may need special assistance. Also, check with others who have electricity, to see if you can visit.
- If you have power at this time, keep mobile devices charged so that may be used in an emergency. Before anything happens, download the Pacific Power app to your smart device so you can have information readily available.
- Remember your pets! Pets who spend a lot of time outdoors need more food in the winter because keeping warm depletes energy.
- If you are using alternate heat or cooking sources, remember to allow plenty of ventilation. Never burn charcoal for heating or cooking indoors.
- If you are using a generator, make sure to follow all manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure the generator is outside and not near any household air intakes. Do not connect the generator directly to your breaker box as this can create a dangerous situation for crews working on the powerlines. Instead plug essential appliances directly into the generator.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 19, 2020
Media contact: 800-570-5838
Pacific Power made additional restoration progress today returning service to approximately 1,500 customers
GRANTS PASS, ORE—Pacific Power restored service to approximately 1,500 customers today – down from 3,000 at the beginning of the day – as crews continued to make further progress clearing downed trees and making repairs. Nearly 1,500 customers remain without power due to damaged lines and equipment from the destructive Jan. 16 winter storm that at its peak left over 18,000 customers without service.
The main challenge at this point are the hundreds of single outages spread across 60 to 70 miles with many of those single outages in outlying areas. Over 300 Pacific Power personnel will continue to work through the night and into next week to return service to all impacted customers.
Pacific Power encourages customers to report outages by calling 1-877-508-5088 or text OUT to 722797. Text STAT to 722797 to check the status of your outage. Customers and media representatives can also track outages of any size online. Updates will be made as new information becomes available or at least hourly at pacificpower.net/outage.
To ease the inconvenience of power outages and assist crews in restoring power, Pacific Power suggests the following tips and safety precautions:
- Stay away from all downed power lines and utility lines. Even if the lines are not sparking, they could be energized and extremely dangerous. Call 911 and report the outage to Pacific Power at 1-877-508-5088.
- Don’t drive over downed power lines.
- Turn on your porch light. After crews complete repairs, they patrol the area of the power failure to see if any lights are still out
- Check on your neighbors, especially those who may need special assistance. Also, check with others who have electricity, to see if you can visit.
- If you have power at this time, keep mobile devices charged so that may be used in an emergency. Before anything happens, download the Pacific Power app to your smart device so you can have information readily available.
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Most food requiring refrigeration can be kept safely in a closed refrigerator for several hours. An unopened refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours.
- Remember your pets! Pets who spend a lot of time outdoors need more food in the winter because keeping warm depletes energy.
- If you are using alternate heat or cooking sources, remember to allow plenty of ventilation. Never burn charcoal for heating or cooking indoors.
- If you are using a generator, make sure to follow all manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure the generator is outside and not near any household air intakes. Do not connect the generator directly to your breaker box as this can create a dangerous situation for crews working on the powerlines. Instead plug essential appliances directly into the generator.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 19, 2020
Media contact: 800-570-5838
Service to nearly 3,000 Pacific Power customers in hard-hit Josephine County was restored yesterday and last night
GRANTS PASS, ORE—Pacific Power restored service to approximately 3,000 customers throughout yesterday as crews continued to make steady progress clearing downed trees and making repairs. Felled trees, blocked roads and hundreds of single outages spread across a large area have made the restoration work challenging. At its peak, more than 18,000 customers were impacted from the Jan. 16 winter storm. Approximately 3,000 customers remain without power.
“We’re thankful to all of our customers for their encouragement and understanding as our crews continue to make restoration progress in the wake of the winter storm,” said Dave Lucas, Pacific Power’s vice president of transmission and distribution. “We know how difficult it can be to go without power for an extended period. Our crews are focused on the task at hand and will continue to work around the clock to clear hazards, make repairs and restore service to our customers.”
Good weather will help aid restoration efforts today of the over 300 Pacific Power and contract personnel who are working in the area.
Pacific Power encourages customers to report outages by calling 1-877-508-5088 or text OUT to 722797. Text STAT to 722797 to check the status of your outage. Customers and media representatives can also track outages of any size online. Updates will be made as new information becomes available or at least hourly at pacificpower.net/outage.
To ease the inconvenience of power outages and assist crews in restoring power, Pacific Power suggests the following tips and safety precautions:
- Stay away from all downed power lines and utility lines. Even if the lines are not sparking, they could be energized and extremely dangerous. Call 911 and report the outage to Pacific Power at 1-877-508-5088.
- Don’t drive over downed power lines.
- Turn on your porch light. After crews complete repairs, they patrol the area of the power failure to see if any lights are still out
- Check on your neighbors, especially those who may need special assistance. Also, check with others who have electricity, to see if you can visit.
- If you have power at this time, keep mobile devices charged so that may be used in an emergency. Before anything happens, download the Pacific Power app to your smart device so you can have information readily available.
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Most food requiring refrigeration can be kept safely in a closed refrigerator for several hours. An unopened refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours.
- Remember your pets! Pets who spend a lot of time outdoors need more food in the winter because keeping warm depletes energy.
- If you are using alternate heat or cooking sources, remember to allow plenty of ventilation. Never burn charcoal for heating or cooking indoors.
- If you are using a generator, make sure to follow all manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure the generator is outside and not near any household air intakes. Do not connect the generator directly to your breaker box as this can create a dangerous situation for crews working on the powerlines. Instead plug essential appliances directly into the generator.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 18, 2020
Media contact: 800-570-5838
Power restorations in southern Oregon continued through the night as Pacific Power brings in additional crews to assist
Pacific Power has over 300 personnel working around the clock clearing downed trees and making repairs in aftermath of destructive winter storm
GRANTS PASS, ORE—Pacific Power restored power to approximately 1,900 customers during the night with additional crews and equipment coming in from across the region to assist with clearing downed trees and restoration efforts. Vegetation crews continue to focus on clearing away hundreds of felled trees and clearing debris from roads so line crews can safely make repairs to restore power to the remaining 6,000 customers impacted by the outages caused by the Jan. 16 winter storm that at its peak left more than 18,000 customers without power.
Crews have made steady progress during the night and expect to continue to restore more customers throughout today and into the evening. Restoration efforts have been hampered by the sheer number of outages spread across vast, difficult to access terrain and hundreds of felled trees.
More than 300 Pacific Power personnel and contractors are working around the clock in the area. Pacific Power estimates between 1,500 and 2,000 customers could be restored by this evening, but cautions some customers could remain without power into next week.
Red Cross Shelters. Red Cross has opened emergency shelters in areas that are experiencing extended outages.
- Illinois Valley High School: 625 E River St, Cave Junction, OR 97523,
- Josephine County Fairgrounds, Pavilion Building: 1451 Fairgrounds Road, Grants Pass, OR, 97527.
Pacific Power encourages customers to report outages by calling 1-877-508-5088 or text OUT to 722797. Text STAT to 722797 to check the status of your outage. Customers and media representatives can also track outages of any size online. Updates will be made as new information becomes available or at least hourly at pacificpower.net/outage.
To ease the inconvenience of power outages and assist crews in restoring power, Pacific Power suggests the following tips and safety precautions:
- Stay away from all downed power lines and utility lines. Even if the lines are not sparking, they could be energized and extremely dangerous. Call 911 and report the outage to Pacific Power at 1-877-508-5088.
- Don’t drive over downed power lines.
- Turn on your porch light. After crews complete repairs, they patrol the area of the power failure to see if any lights are still out
- Check on your neighbors, especially those who may need special assistance. Also, check with others who have electricity, to see if you can visit.
- If you have power at this time, keep mobile devices charged so that may be used in an emergency. Before anything happens, download the Pacific Power app to your smart device so you can have information readily available.
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Most food requiring refrigeration can be kept safely in a closed refrigerator for several hours. An unopened refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours.
- Remember your pets! Pets who spend a lot of time outdoors need more food in the winter because keeping warm depletes energy.
- If you are using alternate heat or cooking sources, remember to allow plenty of ventilation. Never burn charcoal for heating or cooking indoors.
- If you are using a generator, make sure to follow all manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure the generator is outside and not near any household air intakes. Do not connect the generator directly to your breaker box as this can create a dangerous situation for crews working on the powerlines. Instead plug essential appliances directly into the generator.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
3 p.m. Jan. 17, 2020
Media contact: 800-570-5838
Pacific Power restoring power to southern Oregon customers after damaging snowstorm
Progress is being made, but some customers may be without power through weekend
GRANTS PASS, ORE—Pacific Power crews and equipment drawn from across the Northwest are concentrated on restoring power to approximately 9,200 Pacific Power customers in southern Oregon and northern California. At peak, more than 18,000 customers were without power Thursday in the area.
Downed trees and limbs strewn across a rugged landscape are complicating the work of more than 250 Pacific Power crews and contractors working around the clock in the area on more than 200 individual outages.
Restoration work has been challenging due to the large number and geographically dispersed outages. Especially in the remote areas where Snowcats and other special equipment are needed to deal with conditions. Crews are making steady progress now and expect to continue to restore more customers into the evening.
The hardest hit area is Grants Pass and surrounding areas with 9,100 without power. Another 100 customer are out in Yreka and Mount Shasta, Calif.
Shelters. Pacific Power is working with the Red Cross and local emergency management to open shelters in areas that are experiencing extended outages. Shelters, where residents can get warm beverages and charge phones, are open at:
- Illinois Valley High School: 625 E River St, Cave Junction, OR 97523,
- Josephine County Fairgrounds: 1451 Fairgrounds Road, Grants Pass, OR, 97527.
“We know our communities are shouldering the storm’s aftermath,” said Christina Kruger, Pacific Power’s regional business manager. “We are working with local agencies and the Red Cross to try to ease that stress and appreciate everyone’s patience as we work to get power back on as safely and quickly as possible given the challenges we can all see out there. If you know of any specific areas that are hard hit and isolated, let us know.”
Pacific Power encourages customers to report outages by calling 1-877-508-5088 or text OUT to 722797. Text STAT to 722797 to check the status of your outage. Customers and media representatives can also track outages of any size online. Updates will be made as new information becomes available or at least hourly at pacificpower.net/outage.
To ease the inconvenience of power outages and assist crews in restoring power, Pacific Power suggests the following tips and safety precautions:
- Stay away from all downed power lines and utility lines. Even if the lines are not sparking, they could be energized and extremely dangerous. Call 911 and report the outage to Pacific Power at 1-877-508-5088.
- Don’t drive over downed power lines.
- Turn on your porch light. After crews complete repairs, they patrol the area of the power failure to see if any lights are still out
- Check on your neighbors, especially those who may need special assistance. Also, check with others who have electricity, to see if you can visit.
- If you have power at this time, keep mobile devices charged so that may be used in an emergency. Before anything happens, download the Pacific Power app to your smart device so you can have information readily available.
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Most food requiring refrigeration can be kept safely in a closed refrigerator for several hours. An unopened refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours.
- Remember your pets! Pets who spend a lot of time outdoors need more food in the winter because keeping warm depletes energy.
- If you are using alternate heat or cooking sources, remember to allow plenty of ventilation. Never burn charcoal for heating or cooking indoors.
- If you are using a generator, make sure to follow all manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure the generator is outside and not near any household air intakes. Do not connect the generator directly to your breaker box as this can create a dangerous situation for crews working on the powerlines. Instead plug essential appliances directly into the generator.
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Contact: Pacific Power media hotline: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1-800-570-5838 Jan. 16, 2020
Heavy, wet snow causes widespread outages in southern Oregon, northern California
Pacific Power crews are working to restore power to approximately 18,000 customers and have called in additional support from outside of the area
GRANTS PASS, Ore. – Approximately 18,000 Pacific Power customers from Glendale to Mount Shasta to Rogue River are without power due to winter weather conditions. Additional resources and crews have been called in from outside the area to help with restoration.
Given the extensive storm-related damage to power lines, the number of repairs that are necessary, and persistent storm conditions, Pacific Power is working to provide estimated times for restoration. However, customers in more remote areas with significant damage should plan to remain without service through the upcoming weekend.
“We’re tackling a challenging restoration effort because some of the impacted facilities are located in remote, hard to access areas,” said David Lucas, Pacific Power vice president of operations. “We’re bringing in additional internal crews, contractors and equipment to help with assessing damage and continue repairs. We appreciate our customers’ patience during all of this and will give updates as more information becomes available.”
Communities experiencing significant outages as of 5 p.m.:
- Grants Pass and nearby communities, 15,000
- Mt. Shasta/Yreka, 1,400
- Medford and nearby communities, 700
Crews have been working non-stop since the storm began early Thursday morning, assessing damage and making repairs. Crews often have to cut their way through downed trees into many of the trouble spots. Approximately 120 crew members are at work on more than 200 outages. However, heavy snow is still causing more road closures, more trees to fall and additional damage to power lines. Crews are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore power.
Pacific Power is coordinating with local emergency agencies and the Red Cross to potentially open warming centers in coming days. The company will share that information as it becomes available.
Pacific Power encourages customers to report outages by calling 1-877-508-5088 or text OUT to 722797. Text STAT to 722797 to check the status of your outage. Customers and media representatives can also track outages of any size online. Updates will be made as new information becomes available or at least hourly at pacificpower.net/outage.
To ease the inconvenience of power outages and assist crews in restoring power, Pacific Power suggests the following tips and safety precautions:
- Stay away from all downed power lines and utility lines. Even if the lines are not sparking, they could be energized and extremely dangerous. Call 911 and report the outage to Pacific Power at 1-877-508-5088.
- Don’t drive over downed power lines.
- Turn on your porch light. After crews complete repairs, they patrol the area of the power failure to see if any lights are still out
- Check on your neighbors, especially those who may need special assistance. Also, check with others who have electricity, to see if you can visit.
- If you have power at this time, keep mobile devices charged so that may be used in an emergency. Before anything happens, download the Pacific Power app to your smart device so you can have information readily available.
Pacific Power also thanks customers in advance for their patience as we work to restore power. Crews make every effort to keep outage durations to a minimum and to restore power safely and quickly.
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Contact: Pacific Power media hotline FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1-800-570-5838 Jan. 10, 2020
Snow forecast puts winter preparation in focus
Check your Emergency Outage Kit, charge up mobile devices, avoid any downed lines, text OUT to 722797 to report outages and sign up for alerts to stay up to date
PORTLAND, Ore. –A winter storm forecast to hit the Northwest early next week may bring windy conditions and snow to Portland, the Willamette Valley and the Columbia River Gorge. Pacific Power is urging its customers and the public to take precautions to stay safe and comfortable.
“We are monitoring the situation closely and are ready to deploy crews as needed should the storm cause any substantial outages,” said David Lucas, vice president of operations. “We work throughout the year pruning trees and making sure dangerous limbs are not too close to powerlines. Wet heavy snow on tree limbs is the biggest power outage risk with a storm like this.”
When outages occur, Pacific Power is prepared 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. “Before the storm arrives, please visit our website and sign up to get text, email or phone alerts to stay informed about outages that affect you. You can download our mobile app to report power problems or get real time outage updates as well. We also have 250 Customer Care Specialists working rotating shifts 24 hours a day so customers can always reach us with service-related questions or needs.”
Sign up for alerts or download the Pacific Power app by going to pacificpower.net.
Every home should have an Emergency Outage Kit that includes the following:
- Flashlight
- Battery-operated radio and clock
- Extra batteries
- Non-perishable foods
- Manual can opener
- Bottled water
- Blankets
If a power outage occurs, Pacific Power encourages customers to first check their fuses and circuit breakers. If the power failure is not caused inside the home or business, customers should report the outage to Pacific Power by texting OUT to 722797 or calling 1-877-508-5088.
To ease the inconvenience of power outages and assist crews in restoring power, Pacific Power suggests the following tips and safety precautions:
- Stay away from all downed power lines and utility lines. Even if the lines are not sparking, they could be energized and extremely dangerous. Call 911 and report the outage to Pacific Power at 1-877-508-5088.
- Don’t drive over downed power lines. In fact, unless necessary, don’t drive as roads will be hazardous.
- Turn on your porch light. After crews complete repairs, they patrol the area of the power failure to see if lights are on.
- Check on your neighbors, especially those who may need special assistance. Also, check with others who have electricity, to see if you can visit.
- Keep mobile devices charged so that may be used in an emergency. Before anything happens, sign up for Pacific Power alerts or download the Pacific Power app to your smart device so you can have information readily available.
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 by checking our outage maps on the Pacific Power app or online at pacificpower.net/outage.
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Test Drive Variety of Electric Vehicles, Build and Race Solar Model Cars at Talent Ride and Drive Event
From experiencing the versatility of electric vehicles to hands-on STEAM activities for kids, the free ride and drive event has something for everyone.
TALENT, Ore. – Have you ever wondered what it’s like to drive an electric vehicle? Now is your chance to find out. Join Talent Maker City – a nonprofit community makerspace, Rogue Valley Clean Cities Coalition and Pacific Power for a free electric vehicle ride and drive event on Jan. 18 at the Talent Maker City building located at 304 E Main St. Attendees will have the opportunity to test drive a variety of electric vehicles and learn how Pacific Power is connecting Oregon electric vehicles throughout the state with new fast chargers.
“We’re excited to partner with Talent Maker City and Rogue Valley Clean Cities Coalition for this event so people can experience electric vehicles first-hand and learn about our state-wide electric vehicle charging station initiative,” said Christina Kruger, regional business manager for Pacific Power. “More electric chargers make it more convenient for drivers to go electric, and that’s the on-ramp to lower carbon emissions. At Pacific Power, we’re increasing our investments in renewable energy and vehicle electrification to ensure we’re meeting the clean energy and transportation needs of our customers.”
In November, Pacific Power awarded a $100,000 grant to the City of Talent to help build new Level 2 charging stations and Level 3 fast chargers. The chargers will be located in downtown Talent on Seiber St.
Kids can get in on all the buzz around electric vehicles too, according to Ryan Wilcoxson, executive director for Talent Maker City. “People learn best through hands-on activities and that’s one reason we’re looking forward to helping kids build solar vehicle models at the ride and drive event. This activity incorporates each element of STEAM and is a lot of fun to do. Building the solar cars then racing them on the track we’ll have available is a great way to learn the science behind sunlight converting to electricity.”
The Grotto Pizzeria will have complimentary light refreshments available for attendees.
*Media, interview, photo and video opportunities are available. Please call 1-800-570-5838 for additional information.
What: Pop-Up Electric Vehicle Ride & Drive Event
Where: Talent Maker City (304 E Main St, Talent, Ore)
When: Saturday, January 18, 2020 from 10 AM to 2 PM
Sponsored by:
- Talent Maker City
- Rogue Valley Clean Cities Coalition
- The Grotto Pizzeria
- Pacific Power
Event Partners:
- Southern Oregon Hybrid Electric Vehicles Association
- TC Chevy
- Rogue Valley Transportation District
- Forth Mobility
- 3Degrees
- City of Talent
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