PGE crews continue to assess damage and restore power outages caused by extreme winter conditions

Portland, Ore. (January 13, 2024) — PGE is working to restore power as quickly and safely as conditions allow. Nearly 400 PGE and contract field personnel are currently working to assess damage and restore service. PGE knows weather events and the resulting outages are impactful to customers. We are grateful to them for their patience and understanding during these difficult conditions. The winter storm brought subfreezing temperatures, high winds and a mix of freezing precipitation. Many of the outages are due to vegetation interference such as limbs on lines or trees falling into power lines. Crew response may be impacted by snow, high winds, road conditions or fallen trees.

Winter Weather Safety

For customers who are without power, we know it’s hard, especially in the cold. We encourage you to:

• Contact 2-1-1 for warming shelter information or additional assistance that may be needed during this winter weather event.

• If it is safe to do so, consider staying with a friend or family member who has power.

• Exercise caution when using candles as an alternative light source.

• Do not operate kerosene heaters or generators indoors. Without proper ventilation, these items can generate harmful gases and deadly carbon monoxide.

• Lock in home heat by tacking blankets over windows and doorways to keep the cold out and putting rolled towels at the bottom of doors to keep drafts out.

Always assume that any downed power line is live and extremely dangerous. Do not touch a downed power line wire with your body or any object and stay away from it. Report any downed line immediately to PGE by calling 503-464-7777 or 800-544-1795.

Generator Safety

• Prior to operation, thoroughly read the manufacturer’s instructions to safely operate the generator.  

• Always operate a portable generator outside.

  • Because it is fueled with gasoline, place it in a well-ventilated area away from doors, windows, and the garage.

• Never plug a generator into a wall outlet.

  • Doing so may produce dangerous backfeed of electricity into utility lines.

  • Plug appliances and other electrical equipment directly into the portable generator using an indoor/outdoor, three-prong, grounded extension cord.

• Use only an outdoor-rated, grounded extension cord — one with a GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) is best; always follow manufacturer’s instructions for grounding the generator.  

Connect with PGE

For customers whose power is out, please contact PGE if you haven’t already. PGE offers several ways to report an outage or get an update:

• Text updates: Log into your PGE account to make sure PGE has your contact information so we can update you with outage information via text message.

• Online: Go to portlandgeneral.com/outage to view PGE’s outage map.

• App: Download the PGE app at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store . Links also available at portlandgeneral.com/app.