Recognition is the result of electric restorations efforts in response of severe winter storms
VANCOUVER — Clark Public Utilities has received a national commendation from the American Public Power Association for its support in electric power restoration efforts around South Puget Sound and Western Oregon.
In February and early March, Clark Public Utilities sent crews to assist Peninsula Light Co. and Pacific Power, which suffered widespread outages as a result of aggressive and repeated winter storms.
After severe snowstorms battered Northwest Washington, a crew of four Clark Public Utilities linemen worked from Feb. 11 to 14 to restore power around Gig Harbor. The crew cleared fallen trees and freed downed power lines in forested terrain to restore power to Peninsula Light customers.
From Feb. 25 to March 5, two crews and a superintendent were dispatched to Albany and Roseburg, Ore. The lines in Southwest Oregon were located in extremely isolated and remote areas and crews were required to carry in equipment on foot. Residents in those areas had been without power for more than a week.
“Utilities across Oregon and Washington found themselves scrambling to restore power to their customers in the wake of this winter’s late-breaking and powerful storms,” said Clark Public Utilities General Manager and CEO Wayne Nelson. “Once we ensured the safety and security of our own system and had confidence that the worst of the weather had missed the SW Washington region, we were quick to respond to requests for mutual aid assistance from our regional colleagues struggling to restore service to their customers.”
Clark Public Utilities participates in the American Public Power Association’s Mutual Aid Network, which coordinates with utilities and authorities during widespread power outages, in addition to state and regional networks.
For more information on mutual aid, visit PublicPower.org/MutualAid.
About Clark Public Utilities
Clark Public Utilities is a customer-owned public utility that provides electric service to more than 195,000 customers throughout Clark County. The utility also provides water service to nearly 40,000 homes and businesses in the Hazel Dell, Salmon Creek, Lakeshore, Hockinson, Brush Prairie, La Center, Meadow Glade, Amboy and Yacolt areas.
More information is available at www.clarkpublicutilities.com.
