Because there’s been some conflicting reports circulating around the Prince George community The Citizen reached out to BC Hydro to get some clarity about the planned overnight power outages set for Prince George and area for March 30 at 7 p.m. to March 31 at 5 a.m. that will affect more than 14,000 households.
“We recognize that planned power outages can be disruptive, and we want to assure customers that we carefully consider a range of factors before moving forward with them — including customer impact, system reliability, crew safety, and weather conditions,” said Mike Kellett, manager of northern community relations for BC Hydro.
“The planned outage scheduled for the evening of March 30 to the morning of March 31 is proceeding as planned. The outage is necessary to replace aging high-voltage transmission structures that are at risk of failure," he said. "If left unaddressed, these structures could fail unexpectedly and cause a much longer, unplanned outage at a time when crews and materials may not be immediately available. By scheduling this work now, we’re aiming to avoid that kind of scenario. We're also using the opportunity to replace two lower-voltage distribution poles at the same time, which helps us avoid a second planned outage down the road.”
Kellett went on to explain the work was scheduled overnight to minimize disruption to daily activities while ensuring it can be done safely by BC Hydro crews.
“We understand that outages can be especially concerning during the spring thaw for customers who rely on sump pumps,” Kellett said. “We recommend customers take precautions in advance, such as using backup battery-powered sump pumps where possible. We truly appreciate everyone’s understanding as we work to maintain the safety and reliability of the power system.”
Further information about how to prepare for a power outage at www.bchydro.com/safety-outages/power-outages/prepare-for-outages.html.
