With utility disconnections set to resume in Washington, advocates push for more time
Washington banned utility disconnections for non-payment during the pandemic, but that protection is set to expire in July. Author: Michael Crowe Updated: 7:24 PM PDT May 24, 2021
SEATTLE With some utility shutoffs set to resume this summer, advocates are raising the alarm for people in Washington state that have fallen behind on payments during the pandemic.
Governor Jay Inslee previously told utilities not to disconnect service during the pandemic, coupled with a moratorium on evictions.
The Utility and Transportation Commission has oversight over several private utilities such as Puget Sound Energy (PSE), Avista, Pacific Power, Cascade and Northwest Natural. This does not include government-operated bodies such as Seattle City Light or Seattle Public Utilities, or public utility districts (PUDs).
PacifiCorp tells Portland employees to return to the office in less than 2 weeks or take pay cut
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Dive Brief:
The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) last week issued a series of temporary rules to govern utility deployments of public safety power shutoffs (PSPS) as well as reporting requirements for the 2021 wildfire season.
The rules, which will apply to investor-owned utilities like Portland General Electric and Pacific Power, will remain in effect until mid-November. Regulators are simultaneously crafting permanent rules in collaboration with the utilities and communities.
Deploying safety shut-offs is an extreme decision, Commissioner Letha Tawney acknowledged during a meeting last week. At the same time, extreme weather conditions especially high wind tests even the best built and maintained electrical systems, she added.
Downtown Redmond house fire causes $25,000 damage; cause under investigation
Redmond Fire & Rescue
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Redmond fire crews searched the home to make sure no one was inside
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A fire broke out Friday night on the second story of a home in downtown Redmond, causing about $25,000 in damage, and the cause remains under investigation, a Redmond Fire and Rescue official said Saturday.
Crews were dispatched shortly before 10 p.m. to fire in the home in the 400 block of West Antler Avenue. Battalion Chief Ron Hawkins said a woman who had been “frantically knocking on doors” also came to the nearby fire station, in the 300 block of Northwest Dogwood Avenue, to report the fire.
Chance Johnson hugs Sarah Hunter the two loaded a horse into a trailer to be evacuated north on Sept. 9 2020 in Canby, Oregon. Four wildfires continued gaining ground in Clackamas County aided by high winds.
Oregonians may have to get used to the idea of losing power during wildfire seasons, something that became a greater possibility with the Public Utility Commission approval of temporary rules for cutting off electricity when power lines threaten to spark a fire
The temporary rules govern how investor-owned utilities should de-energize power lines during the 2021 wildfire season. Those utilities include Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, and Idaho Power. A “public safety power shut off” (PSPS) would be considered a last-resort tool to prevent wildfires and keep those already ignited from further spreading into communities when extreme and dangerous weather conditions are present.
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