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November Wind Storm

Damage assessment and restoration efforts continue

Crews and hundreds of support staff continue their around-the-clock work to restore power to those who remain out as a result of yesterday’s damaging windstorm.

As of 6 p.m., we have 354,733 customers out of power. Power has been restored to more than 170,000 customers since the start of the storm. However, due to extensive wind and equipment damage, power for some customers may be out for an extended period. We are updating our outage map with the best information available and will continue to provide updates as restoration progresses. Our focus for tonight continues to be on transmission lines to critical infrastructure and public safety.

Crews continue to survey damage on the ground and helicopter patrols will resume tomorrow morning. Our first step in restoring power is damage assessment: getting a look at what’s been done to the system and determining the extent of repairs that are needed. We will provide restoration updates as information becomes available.

Crews from other utilities from Washington State, British Columbia, Idaho and Oregon have all shown up to assist in the repair of our electric system. Support from these outside agencies ensures that PSE restores power to our communities as soon as possible.

 

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Safety first. Never touch or go within 35 feet of downed power lines because they might be energized. Call PSE at 1-888-225-5773 or 911 to report problems.

Report and track power outages online

PSE COVID-19 Response

Bellevue, Washington (3/12/2020) Find out about our response to the pandemic and steps we are taking to protect critical energy operations. Learn how you can get help with your bill and more.

 

To our customers and community,

Energy service is essential. As the coronavirus impacts our region, we’re working to ensure our customers’ needs continue to be met while doing our part to help mitigate this serious issue.

For safety, we’re taking steps at both our own facilities and in the field. These range from enhanced cleaning at PSE offices and workspaces to limiting access to essential personnel. We’re also having employees who can work remotely stay at home. When at your home or business, our employees will utilize steps recommended by health experts, such as social distancing. For the time being, we'll be performing only essential services related to safety and reliability, including gas odor calls, gas re-lights, critical electrical system work, customer requests for new service, or other urgent safety and system-related situations.

With so much uncertainty, we also know some customers might be worried about paying their bills. We understand the hardship local businesses and residents are facing and will not be disconnecting customers for non-payment at this time. We also received approval from the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission for a waiver that allows PSE to suspend accrual of late fees while we continue to assess the impacts of coronavirus on our customers. We’d also encourage anyone facing hardship to reach out to us and learn more about options such as payment plans, changing their bill’s due date and the assistance funds available through our EnergyHelp portal. In addition, the Puget Sound Energy Foundation is working with a variety of community organizations to help support those in need.

We have been a part of this community for more than 150 years and know that our region is resilient. Thank you for joining us in working together at this critical time.


Sincerely,

Mary E. Kipp
President and Chief Executive Officer
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