Prepare Your Business
Is your business prepared for a power outage? Learn how to minimize business disruption, keep your employees safe, and protect equipment.
Is your business prepared for a power outage? Learn how to minimize business disruption, keep your employees safe, and protect equipment.
As Oregon’s climate changes, the more extreme conditions can increase the likelihood of storms and power outages. But if we’re all prepared, an outage can be a little easier to get through.
Stay in the know
Update your contact information on your PGE account so we can send you text alerts in the event of a power outage. These alerts are available for businesses with 5 or fewer accounts.
Be sure to check out our new and improved outage map online or on the PGE app for important information that includes who's been impacted, where we're at in the restoration process and when you can expect power to be back on.
Create a storm outage kit
And, make sure everyone in your business knows where to find it. Below are basic items to start you off, with more ideas on this handy checklist.
Flashlights or camp lights for all areas, including bathrooms
Battery powered or hand-crank radio
Battery powered clock
Extra batteries
Car chargers for cell phones and laptops or tablets
Bottled water for people and animals (if your water relies on an electric pump)
Emergency phone numbers, including PGE's outage or downed line number, 503-464-1077, or the number of your account representative.
Minimize business disruption
Have a plan to help minimize disruption, keep your employees safe and protect equipment. You can use this handy checklist, and be sure to communicate your outage response plan with key employees.
Identify whether and how you could run your business without power, including how you’ll complete transactions, keep employees and customers warm, power your lighting and ensure safety and security.
Ensure electronic door locks can be bypassed manually.
If you have an emergency lighting system, make sure it’s working well.
Train your employees to know what to do if they’re working when the power goes out, including shutting down sensitive equipment (see below).
Plan how you’d let customers and employees know if you close during an outage.
Make a plan for caring for perishable inventory, watering crops, and keeping livestock or animals cool and watered.
Consider a backup generator and follow manufacturers' guidelines for safe operation.
Be sure to have your maintenance team – or your team members familiar with your electrical systems – ready to come in once power is safely restored. This will ensure that after we turn power back on, they can do any necessary work on your systems so you can be back up, running and serving your customers.
Protect equipment
Power outages can affect equipment and data. Here’s how to protect them both:
Know how you will keep critical equipment running during an outage
Locate and turn off power switches on non-critical equipment, or locate your electrical supply panels and know how to shut off power
Protect computers and other equipment from power surges with good quality surge protection
Prevent data loss with automatic backup programs and battery backup systems
More resources
While you’re preparing your business for summer outages, be sure you and your employees prepare at home too .
How we restore power
When a major storm or event hits, we work as quickly as safety allows to get your power back on.
Surge Protection
Understand power surges and surge protection options to help prevent equipment damage.
