Rocky Mountain Power placed the Moab and Castle Valley areas under a Public Safety Power Shutoff Watch following predictions of 50-mile-per-hour winds and elevated fire danger. The utility warned that while a watch indicates potential for shutoffs, conditions could escalate quickly to an active shutoff with limited notice.
Potential for upcoming power shutoffs
The utility's notification included the possibility of power being disconnected as early as 2 a.m. Saturday, with service potentially not returning until Sunday. The watch was estimated to affect approximately 18,302 customers across the region.
Wildfire conditions driving outage threats
According to reporting by Moab Times, the threat of outages is driven by extreme wildfire conditions, including smoke from the Cottonwood Fire which recently obscured Castleton Tower near Castle Valley.
Impact of outages on water access
For residents in Castle Valley, power interruptions present significant challenges to water access. Because many local residents rely on wells for their domestic water supply, a loss of electricity can result in a total lack of running water.
Methods for maintaining local water supply
Some residents have mitigated this risk by installing hand water pumps on their wells to allow for basic needs like toilet flushing and plant watering during outages. Other residents, particularly those living on the higher rim side of the valley, utilize cisterns that are gravity-fed to their homes, ensuring a continuous water supply regardless of electrical status.
Community use of backup power solutions
Backup power solutions vary widely across the community. Many households utilize Generac whole-home standby generators, often powered by liquid propane gas, which activate within seconds of a utility failure to maintain refrigerator temperatures and home comfort.
Fire District generator and emergency preparedness
The Castle Valley Fire District has implemented similar precautions, having installed a Generac generator at its Chamisa Lane property several years ago. This system ensures constant power to the district's well, which is critical for filling fire engines during active emergencies. The generator is programmed to run automatically for 15 minutes every Saturday morning and also triggers during power outages.
Alternative energy methods provide different levels of resilience. Some residents use solar panel arrays connected to the grid through Rocky Mountain Power's net metering program, allowing them to build a reserve during sunny periods for use in winter. While these systems may lack storage batteries, they can power essential appliances like refrigerators during daylight hours.
In the Upper 80 section of the valley, some residents live entirely off the grid, relying on dedicated solar and wind power paired with storage batteries to maintain electricity. Other residents have adopted manual preparation methods, such as freezing water in containers ahead of time to help maintain cold temperatures in refrigerators during prolonged outages.
Emergency preparedness remains a priority due to the potential for sudden evacuations. Government disaster agencies and relief organizations recommend that residents maintain a 72-hour 'go bag' or kit containing enough food, water, and essential supplies to sustain a family for three days.
These kits, which can be organized in backpacks or buckets, are designed to support families during the time it may take for first responders and relief organizations to reach isolated areas following a major crisis.
Recent events have demonstrated the volatility of the local power supply. During a recent period of high winds, an outage occurred on a Saturday lasting 10 hours, from 11:39 a.m. until 9:39 p.m.
While Rocky Mountain Power had planned for potential shutoffs due to gusty winds—which reached 47 mph according to local anemometer readings—unconfirmed reports suggested the specific outage in the Dewey area may have been caused by a tree falling on power lines.
