Understanding Power Outages

Power outages are an occasional reality, particularly in remote areas. While we work hard to minimize disruptions, it is important to know more about outages, their causes, and how they are addressed to ensure electricity is restored efficiently and safely.

What Causes Power Outages?

Power outages can happen for a variety of reasons. The most common causes include:

• Weather-Related Issues: Snowstorms, high winds, lightning, and ice can damage power lines or cause tree branches to fall, disrupting service. Even if the weather is relatively mild at your location, the electric grid is connected. Storm impacts elsewhere may impact you.
• Equipment Issues: Normal wear and tear or unexpected equipment failure can lead to outages.
• Accidents and Wildlife: Vehicle collisions with utility poles, homeowners working on projects such as tree trimming that end up contacting power lines, dig-ins to primary wire by homeowners and/ or contractors, or animals interfering with electrical equipment are less common but still significant causes of outages.
• Transmission or Supply Line Disruptions: Outages can happen when the main power supply lines we rely on, managed by external transmission providers such as Black Hills Energy, Xcel, and/or Tri-State G&T experience an issue. Because these lines deliver electricity to us, we are unable to provide power to your home until the provider resolves the problem. Once their repairs are complete, power will flow through our system, allowing us to restore electricity to your location as quickly as possible.

Why Can Repairs Take Time?

Outage restoration can vary in complexity and time based on several factors such as distance, location, and weather conditions.

• Reaching outage sites: Restoring power in rural areas can require crews to hike in with equipment or travel long distances, often in challenging conditions like icy or snow-covered roads.
• Identifying the cause: Pinpointing the exact issue, particularly in rugged or remote terrain, can add time — especially during nighttime or severe weather.
• Safety first: Crews will prioritize safety by taking necessary precautions during repairs, often relying on specialized equipment to access downed lines or damaged infrastructure.

Frequently Asked Outage Questions

Why Do Lights Blink?

Blinking or flickering lights often occur as the system works to maintain power. During severe weather, this may result from tree branches brushing against power lines or temporary disruptions that resolve automatically. To limit longer outages, protective devices will temporarily interrupt power to address the issue.

How Is Restoration Prioritized?

To restore service to the greatest number of people in the shortest amount of time, repairs are prioritized as follows:

1. Fix large transmission lines supplying power to substations.
2. Repair substations (feeders) that distribute electricity to many households.
3. Address issues with smaller distribution lines impacting fewer residents.

What Should I Do During an Outage?

• Report the outage by calling our 24-hour, 7-day-a-week dispatch line toll-free at (844) 395-2412.
• Avoid contacting us for minor blinking or flickering; instead, call only if your power is fully out.
• Keep essential supplies and a backup power source, especially during winter months.

What About Wildfire Risks?

To reduce wildfire risks, we adjust system settings during high-risk periods to shut off power at the smallest signs of disruptions. While this may increase outages’ frequency and length, it ensures greater community safety. Unlike some utilities, we avoid preemptive shutoffs, favoring thorough inspections before restoring power.

Restoring Power As Quickly — & Safely — As Possible

Our hardworking crews are on call 24/7 to restore power safely and efficiently. Even in adverse weather, they work tirelessly to ensure your household regains access to electricity as quickly as possible, prioritizing their safety and yours.

Stay Updated

We aim to keep you informed during outages. Updates are available online on our website, social media pages, and through direct calls; note that limited communication in the field (such as no cell service) may delay update availability.

Thank you for trusting us to power your home and/or business — we appreciate your patience and understanding.