Power Outage in Clallam County: Thousands Left in the Dark

On a late Friday afternoon, the West End of Clallam County plunged into darkness, as a significant power outage impacted approximately 5,600 customers of the Clallam Public Utility District (PUD). The unexpected blackout was traced back to a fault on a Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) line, leaving the local populace in a state of uncertainty.

Emergency Response

Nicole Hartman, spokesperson for the Clallam PUD, was quick to address the incident. She unveiled that a BPA crew had departed from Olympia around 4:15 p.m., with an estimated travel duration of two hours to reach Port Angeles. The timeline suggested that the crew would arrive on-site by late evening, instilling some hope of resolution among the affected customers.

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The Unknown Fault

Despite having identified the fault on the BPA line as the root cause of the power outage, the specific nature and location of the fault remained elusive. The Clallam PUD, in coordination with the BPA crew, was actively working to pinpoint the fault's location. This crucial step would expedite the rectification process once the crew arrives at the scene.

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The Geographic Challenge

The task at hand was no easy feat. The outage was reported to have occurred within a 30 to 40-mile radius of the BPA's Port Angeles substation, located near Peninsula College. This expansive area posed a significant challenge to the crew, adding complexity to the already urgent situation. The extent of the outage underscored the reliance of the West End on the BPA line and highlighted the urgency of restoring power to the affected region.

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