Rocky Mountain Power announced July 1 that the utility is utilizing enhanced safety settings and emergency de-energization protocols to prevent wildfires, a move that increases the potential for power outages across its service territory in Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming.
The utility company noted that these enhanced safety settings are specifically designed to prevent the start of new wildfires. However, the implementation of these precautions carries a direct impact on electrical reliability for local residents.
According to Rocky Mountain Power, customers may experience outages that last longer than typical durations. This is because field crews must perform manual patrols of power lines to ensure safety before electricity can be restored to affected areas.
In addition to enhanced safety settings, the utility utilizes emergency de-energization during active wildfire events. This process involves intentionally cutting power to specific areas to reduce fire risk.
Rocky Mountain Power warned that as wildfire risks increase, customers should expect more frequent outages resulting from these emergency de-energization efforts.
To manage active service disruptions, Rocky Mountain Power provides an outage map and list that is typically refreshed every 15 minutes. The company noted that outage locations are generalized within these tools to protect the privacy of its customers.
The utility's tracking system categorizes outages into several types, including clusters of outages, planned outages, safety shutoffs, and emergency de-energization.
The company also highlighted specific resources for customers facing electricity-dependent medical needs. Rocky Mountain Power maintains accessibility programs to support these individuals and encourages them to notify the utility of their medical situations.
Customers with medical dependencies can contact the company via telephone at 1-888-221-7070 or through an online contact form to ensure their specific requirements are documented.
For immediate reporting of power disruptions, Rocky Mountain Power instructs customers to use the button on its outage website or text the word OUT to 759677. Downed power lines should be reported immediately by calling 1-877-508-5088.
The utility issued a critical safety reminder to the public: never touch or go near a downed power line.
