Idaho Power offers info on power outage protection

WEISER – Idaho Power will share crucial information regarding power outages, safety and wildfire protection during an open house slated Thursday, April 24, at the Vendome Events Center.

 At the open house – set to begin at 5 p.m. and run until 7 p.m. – the power firm also plans to brief the public on its efforts to enhance its infrastructure and remind residents it is committed to dependability, said Sven Berg, a communications specialist for the company.

 “Reliability is a huge importance to Idaho Power. We work year-around to make the grid more reliable,” he said.

 Berg said Idaho Power seeks to ensure its infrastructure – power lines and sub-stations – are protected from wildfire.

 “Over the past several decades fire activity has increased quite a bit in the western United States. We want to make sure we protect our infrastructure from wildfire, but we also want to prevent wildfires,” he said.

 Berg said Idaho Power also introduced safety equipment to prevent wildfire. Averting sparks from arcing off a power line and then triggering a fire is one of the firm’s top priorities, he said. 

 “We want to avoid the kind of scenario where a tree touches a power line or debris blows across several different power lines. Those kinds of scenarios can start a wildfire,” he said.

 Berg said the company conducts certain operational steps to prevent wildfires. One scenario could include a power line that runs through a heavily forested area and is hit by a strong storm. 

 “That could make the power line trip,” he said.

 The power lines are designed to re-energize after a power malfunction, said Berg. 

 “We make it, so lines do not automatically try to re-energize when they fault,” he said.

 That’s because, he said, if a tree branch dangles from a power line and it suddenly re-energizes it could generate a spark where the tree limb erupts. 

 “We will go and patrol the line and make sure where the fault occurred and ensure its clear and then turn the power back on,” he said.

 Safety measures – such as patrolling a power line to check for tree limbs and other debris – could mean longer than expected power outages, said Berg. He said it is important Idaho Power customers understand what the firm does when responding to power outages. 

 “So, we want people to know what to do when there is an outage. We want them to know how to water livestock without power, know how to take care of medicine or how to run medical equipment,” he said.

 Berg said the open house will also focus on input from Idaho Power customers.

 “We want to hear from people,” he said.

 The April 24 session will also include a discussion regarding how customers can manage their Idaho Power account and ways to stay informed about power outages.