Photo: PGE
Portland General Electric plans and prepares year-round for inclement and extreme weather conditions and encourages customers to be prepared, too. As winter approaches, the potential for weather-related power outages caused by strong wind, snow and ice grows each day.
Our goal is to keep the lights on for our customers. That’s why we’re always working to run the grid safely and reliably. We prepare for storms and extreme weather by trimming trees near power lines, using advanced weather forecasts and monitoring conditions with high-tech tools like our AI-powered cameras and weather stations.
Important safety information:
- If you see a downed power line:
- Never touch a downed power line – or anything else the line is touching.
- Always assume powerlines are live and stay at least 50 feet away (that’s a little longer than a city bus).
- You should always assume downed power lines are electrified and extremely dangerous, they don’t have to spark or sizzle to be live.
- If you see downed power lines, call 911, then report it to PGE at 503-464-7777.
Things customers can do now to prepare:
- Prepare an outage kit that includes:
- Flashlight or headlamps
- Battery-powered or hand crank radio and alarm clock or watch
- Car charger for your cell phone, laptop or tablet
- 72-hour supply of ready-to-eat food and water
- Any required medications
- Extra blankets
- Bottled water for people and animals
- Be familiar with safe cooking, heating and lighting practices. Information on safe generator use and other safety tips are available on portlandgeneral.com/safety.
- If you have an electric garage door opener, learn how to operate it manually.
- For more winter-ready tips, visit portlandgeneral.com/beprepared.
What to do if your power goes out.
For customers whose power is out, PGE offers several ways to get updates or report an outage:
- Text updates: Please make sure PGE has your contact information up to date so we can provide you with outage information via text message (outage texts are currently available for residential and small business customers with fewer than six accounts).
- Online: Go to portlandgeneral.com/outage to view PGE’s outage map, which is the best place to go for real-time outage information.
- App: Download the PGE app at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Links also available at portlandgeneral.com/app.
- Phone: Call 503-464-7777 or 800-544-1795 to report a power outage or downed line through our automated system. Customers can also request a call back when power is restored.
Source: PGE