Electric Outage Information | Truckee Donner Public Utility District

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Active Outage Updates

PSOM CANCELED, 11/20, 4:50pm: NV Energy’s PSOM Warning affecting Truckee has been canceled. High fire danger in Verdi has diminished. As a result, NV Energy has canceled its plans to de-energize transmission lines in Verdi that serve electricity to TDPUD’s system.

While Verdi had its PSOM warning canceled, about 15,000 NV Energy customers in the Reno/Carson area did experience a PSOM outage beginning early Wednesday morning. Many are expected to be out of power until Thursday.

TDPUD appreciates the community’s responsiveness during this PSOM warning. Though we were lucky to not experience a PSOM outage this time, it’s still important to treat these warnings seriously and prepare for multi-day power outages when they are issued.

Visit tdpud.org/wildfire to learn more about wildfire safety power outages and how to prepare for them.

La advertencia PSOM de NV Energy que afecta a Truckee ha sido cancelada. El alto peligro de incendio en Verdi ha disminuido. Como resultado, NV Energy cancelo sus planes de desenergizar las lineas de transmision en Verdi, la cuales suministran electricidad al sistema de TDPUD.

Si bien Verdi cancelo su advertencia de PSOM, alrededor de 15.000 clientes de NV Energy en el area de Reno/Carson experimentaron una interrupcion de PSOM a partir del Miercoles por la mañana temprano. Se espera que esten sin electricidad hasta el Jueves.

TDPUD agradece la capacidad de respuesta de la comunidad durante esta advertencia de PSOM. Aunque tuvimos suerte de no experimentar un corte de energia PSOM esta vez, aun es importante tratar estas advertencias con seriedad y prepararnos para cortes de energia de varios dias cuando se emitan.

Visite tdpud.org/wildfire para obtener mas informacion sobre los cortes de energia de seguridad contra incendios forestales y como prepararse para ellos.

PSOM Warning in Effect [Nov. 20, 2024]

As of 8:15 am on Wednesday, Nov. 20, NV Energy’s PSOM Warning is still in effect for Verdi—and by extension Truckee—and we expect to remain under the warning throughout the morning.

NV Energy did not de-energize the transmission lines that feed TDPUD’s system at 6am this morning because weather conditions in Verdi improved. But wildfire danger still remains in the area, so NV Energy is still monitoring Verdi for a potential PSOM. We will provide an update when we have new information.

All other zones in the Reno/Carson area that were under warning are now experiencing a PSOM.

We’ve seen a lot of confusion from our community about why a wildfire safety outage would be happening at this time of year with our current weather conditions in Truckee. Here are some answers to common questions we are seeing.

How is fire danger this severe if it’s going to rain?

High winds are the major concern. When coupled with low humidity and dry fuels, the anticipated winds upwards of 50-60mph down the hill in Western Nevada are cause for concern. The rain is not forecast to begin in Verdi until the afternoon, which leaves hours for a fire to spark and spread rapidly with the strong winds.

Why do the weather conditions in Verdi affect our power in Truckee?

TDPUD has a distribution network that serves power to most of Truckee. We deliver the power to your home, but since we do not generate power here in Truckee, we rely on our transmission partners to carry electricity into our system via their equipment and network. We are mostly fed by NV Energy transmission lines that cross over rugged terrain from Verdi. If NV Energy de-energizes those transmission lines, TDPUD loses its access to electricity.

Why are you telling us to prepare for a 1-2+ day-long outage? Won’t the danger subside when it starts raining?

The weather event that is triggering this PSOM is forecast to subside between 10pm-midnight on Wednesday. But unfortunately, restoring power is not as easy as flipping a switch. Both NV Energy and TDPUD have to patrol 100% of our systems before re-energizing, to make sure there isn’t any damage to power lines or other equipment that could spark and start a fire if re-energized.

Because the transmission line that feeds Truckee runs through “cross country” terrain, it is very difficult to access by car or on foot. For this reason, NV Energy utilizes a helicopter to patrol the line. This makes patrolling quicker, but does present other limitations. Helicopters cannot fly in high winds or other dangerous weather. And visual patrols can only be done during daylight, so even if the winds die down in the evening, NV Energy won’t be able to begin patrolling until the morning when the sun comes up, and only once the weather is favorable for flying.

Once NV Energy completes its inspection and re-energizes its transmission lines, TDPUD has to inspect 100% our system before restoring power to the community. This means that restoration could take a full day or more if conditions are challenging.

Advertencia de PSOM esta vigente [Nov. 20, 2024]

La advertencia PSOM de NV Energy todavia esta vigente para Verdi – y por extension, Truckee – y esperamos permanecer bajo la advertencia durante toda la mañana.

NV Energy no desenergizo las lineas de transmision que alimentan el sistema de TDPUD a las 6am de esta mañana porque las condiciones climaticas en Verdi mejoraron. Pero el peligro de incendio forestal aun persiste en el area, por lo que NV Energy aun esta monitoreando a Verdi en busca de un posible PSOM. Proporcionaremos una actualizacion cuando tengamos nueva informacion.

Todas las demas zonas en el area de Reno/Carson que estaban bajo advertencia ahora estan experimentando un PSOM.

Hemos visto mucha confusion en nuestra comunidad sobre por que se produciria un corte de seguridad contra incendios forestales en esta epoca del año con condiciones climaticas actuales en Truckee. Aqui hay algunas respuestas a preguntas comunes que estamos viendo.

Como es que el peligro de incendio es tan grave si va a llover?

Los Fuertes vientos son la principal preocupacion. Cuando se combinan con baja humedad combustibles secos, los vientos previstos de mas de 50 a 60 mph colina abajo en el oeste de Nevada son motive de preocupacion. No se preve que la Lluvia comience en Verdi hasta la tarde, lo que dega horas para que se produzca un incendio que se propague rapidamente con los Fuertes vientos.

Por que las condiciones climaticas en Verdi afectan nuestra energia en Truckee?

TDPUD tiene una red de distribucion que suministra energia a la mayor parte de Truckee. Entregamos energia a su hogar, pero como no generamos energia aqui en Truckee, dependemos de nuestros socios de transmision para llevar electricidad a nuestro sistema a traves de sus equipos y redes. Nos alimentamos principalmente de las lineas de transmision de NV Energy que cruzan un terreno accidentado desde Verdi. Si NV Energy desactiva esas lineas de transmision, TDPUD pierde su acceso a la electricidad.

Por que nos dicen que nos preparemos para una interrupcion de 1 a 2 dias o mas? No disminuira el peligro cuando empiece a llover?

Se pronostica que el evento climatico que esta desencadenando este PSOM disminuira entre las 10pm y la medianoche del MIercoles. Pero, lamentablemente, restablecer la energia no es tan facil como accionar un interruptor. Tanto NV Energy como TDPUD tienen que patrullar el 100% de nuestros sistemas antes de volver a energizarlos, para asegurarse de que no haya ningun daño a las lineas electricas o a otros equipos que puedan provocar chispas y provocar un incendio si se vuelven a energizer.

Debido a que la linea de transmision que alimenta a Truckee discurre por un terreno de “atraviesa campo”, es muy dificil acceder a ella en automovil o a pie. Por este motivo, NV Energy utiliza un helicoptero para patrullar la linea. Esto hace que el patrullaje sea mas rapido, pero presenta otras limitaciones. Los helicopteros no pueden volar con Fuertes vientos o otras condiciones climaticas peligrosas. Y las patrullas visuales solo se pueden realizar durante el dia, por lo que incluso si los vientos amainan por la noche, NV Energy no podra comenzar a patrullar hasta la mañana, cuando salga el sol, y solo una vez que el clima sea favorable para volar.

Una vez que NV Energy complete su inspeccion y reenergice sus lineas de transmision, TDPUD tiene que inspeccionar el 100% de nuestro sistema antes de restaurar la energia a la comunidad. Esto significa que la restauracion podria llevar un dia complete o mas si las condiciones son dificiles.

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PSOM UPDATE, 11/20, 6:37am: NV Energy’s PSOM Warning issued for Verdi is still in effect at this time. Extreme weather conditions and high fire danger in Verdi have decreased. As a result, NV Energy did not de-energize our transmission lines in Verdi at 6am. However, they are still monitoring the area and we currently remain under PSOM warning and expect to remain under warning throughout the morning. We will update when we have new information. All other zones in the Reno/Carson area that were under warning are now experiencing a PSOM outage.

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PSOM WARNING ISSUED for Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 6am

NV Energy has issued a Public Safety Outage Management (PSOM) Warning for Verdi due to extreme weather conditions and high fire danger. If conditions persist, NV Energy will de-energize transmission lines in Verdi that serve Truckee on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 6am, resulting in a power outage that will impact all TDPUD customers and last for a period of 1-2+ days.

If there is a PSOM wildfire safety power outage, power will remain off until NV Energy determines that the extreme fire danger has passed, at which point they must visually inspect their transmission system to safely re-energize. The weather event is predicted to last until 10pm-midnight on Wednesday, in which case NV Energy would not be able to begin patrolling until Thursday morning, weather permitting.

NV Energy re-energization could take up to 24 hours. TDPUD must also visually inspect 100% of our overhead electric system in order to safely restore power with substantial re-energization within 12-hours of when NV Energy restores power.

If the PSOM goes into effect, Truckee Donner PUD and Truckee-Donner Recreation and Park District will stand up an outage center at the Community Arts Center at 10046 Church St. This facility will only provide a place to charge devices and obtain information from TDPUD. The outage center will be open to the public from 8am-6pm daily, beginning Wednesday morning.

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ADVERTENCIA DE PSOM: El corte de energía es posible, miércoles 20 de noviembre a las 6 de la mañana (a.m.).

NV Energy ha emitido una Advertencia de Gestión de Interrupciones de Seguridad Pública (PSOM) para Verdi debido a condiciones climáticas extremas y alto peligro de un incendio forestal. Si las condiciones persisten, NV Energy desactivará las líneas de transmisión en Verdi que dan servicio a Truckee el miércoles 20 de noviembre a las 6 a. m., lo que provocará un corte de energía que afectará a todos los clientes de TDPUD y durará un período de 1 a 2 días o más.

Si hay un corte de energía de seguridad contra incendios forestales de PSOM, la energía permanecerá apagada hasta que NV Energy determine que el peligro extremo de incendio ha pasado, momento en el cual deben inspeccionar visualmente su sistema de transmisión para volver a energizarlo de manera segura. Se prevé que el evento climático dure hasta las 10 p. m. y la medianoche del miércoles, en cuyo caso NV Energy no podría comenzar a patrullar hasta el jueves por la mañana, si el clima lo permite.

La reenergización de NV Energy podría tardar hasta 24 horas. TDPUD también debe inspeccionar visualmente el 100% de nuestro sistema eléctrico aéreo para restaurar la energía de manera segura con una reenergización sustancial dentro de las 12 horas posteriores al restablecimiento de la energía por parte de NV Energy. El sitio web de TDPUD (www.tdpud.org) es la mejor fuente de información actualizada durante un apagón o una emergencia. Por favor, manténgase seguro y actúe.

Si el PSOM occurirá, Truckee Donner PUD y Truckee-Donner Recreation and Park District establecerán un centro en el Community Arts Center en 10046 Church St. Este centro será solo un lugar para cargar dispositivos y obtener información de TDPUD. El centro de corte estará abierto al público de 8 am a 6 pm todos los días, a partir del miércoles por la mañana.

Outage updates will be provided for widespread or extended outages.

Recent Outage Recaps

OUTAGE UPDATE, 11/20, 1:22pm: Power has been restored to all TDPUD customers.

OUTAGE UPDATE, 11/20, 12:50pm: NV Energy has re-energized their transmission lines. TDPUD will begin restoring power to our network shortly.

OUTAGE ALERT, 11/20, 10:41am: We are currently experiencing a transmission outage that is affecting customers in Tahoe Donner and Donner Lake. This is a winter storm outage; it does not appear to be related to the Verdi PSOM warning. NV Energy is responding and there is no estimate for restoration at this time. NV Energy still has its system in wildfire safety mode, meaning it will have to be visually inspected before re-energization. Since their crews are also dealing with active PSOM outages in the Reno area, this may mean their response will be delayed. We will share updates when we have more information.

Sept. 19, 2024—At around 9:30am, damage occurred to a transmission power pole that NV Energy and Liberty Utilities use to transmit power to TDPUD's distribution system. The line was de-energized to allow for repairs to be made, and TDPUD customers in Glenshire lost power as a result. The repairs were extensive and required power to remain out in the area and even interrupted train traffic for most of the day. Power was restored to TDPUD customers about 6:30pm.

Aug. 15, 2024—At around 9:15am, we experienced an outage in the Prosser area. Power was restored to some customers by 9:40am, and all customers had power back by 10:10am. The cause is unknown, and was likely due to the sensitivity of our system while it is in wildfire safety mode.

TDPUD’s electric system is currently in a wildfire safety configuration called “one shot,” which reduces the risk of our equipment igniting a wildfire, but in exchange makes it more prone to outages and affects restoration time. Stay prepared this wildfire season by learning about wildfire safety power outages at tdpud.org/wildfire.

Aug. 11, 2024—At around 7:30pm, we experienced a system-wide outage without warning. The cause was the Gold Ranch Fire in Verdi, which was close enough to NV Energy transmission lines that they opted to de-energize the lines that feed Truckee, Liberty Utilities in North Lake Tahoe, and others. Power was not restored until around 10:30pm. We were told to expect power to be out until the following morning, so we are happy it came back sooner. Earlier in the day a wildfire started in Truckee (Pass Fire), but it did not cause power to be lost.

Aug. 7, 2024—At 6:22pm, there was an outage on the circuit that feeds the Prosser area that affected approximately 790 customers. Crews responded, and half the customers were restored at about 8:30pm, with the remainder regaining power by 9:30pm. The cause of the outage was investigated but could not be determined. The outage was likely a consequence of our system being in "one shot" mode during wildfire season. This is a safety practice that mitigates wildfire risk, but in turn makes the system more prone to outages since we disable some automatic functions of the equipment.

Aug. 3, 2024—At about 2pm, an outage occurred in Sierra Meadows during a period of heavy rain and lightning. The outage affected approximately 100 customers. It was originally reported that ~700 customers were out of power, but that was an error in TDPUD’s outage monitoring system. Power was restored around 7pm. Crews later needed to trigger a very brief outage at about 11pm to fix a remaining issue. This outage lasted only a minute or two. After investigation, the electric operations team has concluded that the outage was due to a lightning strike.

During wildfire season, we implement a safety practice called "one shot." We turn off the automatic capability of our system to avoid outages caused by temporary faults (like a branch falling or a squirrel interfering with a power line). This is to mitigate wildfire risk. However, it increases the frequency of outages we experience in the summer and fall, as well as increases restoration time.

Outage recaps will remain on the website for at least one week following widespread or extended outages.

Sign Up for Outage Alerts

Truckee Donner PUD has a new, automated outage management system to keep customers informed during power outages, and send real-time, customized alerts to only the customers experiencing an outage.

To sign up for outage alerts, follow these steps:

1. Log on to your SmartHub account. If you don't have a Smartub account, you'll need to create one. Click here for step-by-step instructions for creating a new account.

2. From the menu at the top of the page, select "Notifications" and then "Manage Notifications."

3. Select "Service" from the menu, and then select the options to receive email and/or text alerts for power outages.

4. Check that your contact information is up-to-date, and be sure to verify your mobile number. See the tutorial below for step-by-step instructions.

Outage Text Verification Tutorial

1. Go to tdpud.org and click “My Account” in the top right corner

OMS tutorial 1

2. When prompted, log in to your SmartHub account

OMS tutorial 2

3. Once on the homepage, click on the menu button in the top right corner

4. Under the “Notifications” tab, click “Manage Contacts”

OMS tutorial 3

5. If you do not have a phone number associated with your TDPUD account, click “+Add Phone Contact”

6. If you see your phone number listed, click on the green button to the right that says “Confirm Contact”

OMS tutorial 4

7. Click the checkboxes next to “Receive Text Messages” and “Receive Voice Calls”

8. Click the green button to the right that says “Continue”

OMS tutorial 5

9. Click the green button that says “Agree” to agree to the terms & conditions

OMS tutorial 6

10. You will receive a text with a 6-digit verification code

11. Enter the verification code in the box and click the green button that saves “Save Contact”

12. You will now receive outage text alerts! You will receive a confirmation text if the verification was successful, and in SmartHub it will say “Text Enrolled” next to your mobile number.

What are the causes of power outages?

Electric power outages in Truckee's mountainous environment are primarily caused by severe winter storms (wind, snow, and ice) creating faults or damaging equipment. They are occasionally caused by equipment failures in TDPUD's electric distribution system, routine maintenance, or NV Energy transmission outages. Summer outages are typically caused by thunder storms, animals, transmission, and necessary wildfire mitigation safety practices.

TDPUD is a transmission dependent utility of NV Energy. This means that power is not generated locally and TDPUD relies on NV Energy's transmission system for our electrical supply. While NV Energy's reliability is generally good, transmission outages do occur and are beyond TDPUD's control.

During winter storms, the primary causes of outages are from snow or ice shedding from trees and power lines or trees and limbs falling and making contact with electric distribution equipment. Short duration interruptions - a few seconds - are the result of TDPUD's protection equipment which can distinguish between a temporary fault (snow shedding from on onto power lines creating a temporary fault, for example) and an outage requiring field repair. In the temporary fault situation, the protection equipment automatically re-energizes the line preventing a much longer outage.

During the summer and fall months, outages are caused primarily by thunder storms, animals getting into TDPUD's electrical equipment, transmission, and changes in operations for wildfire mitigation. TDPUD wildfire mitigation safety practices increase the duration of power outages during wildfire season which extends into the summer and fall months. New California laws and regulations require that TDPUD modify operations to minimize the chance of ignition. In many cases, TDPUD is required to visually patrol all circuits in an outage to ensure that restoring power does not cause a fire. The end result is longer outages during wildfire season. See TDPUD's wildfire page for more information..

TDPUD's dedicated staff takes reliability very seriously, work hard to prevent power outages, and respond quickly when they do occur.

How do I report a power outage?

If your home or business loses power, before you report a power outage to the TDPUD you should check to ensure that TDPUD is the cause of the power outage. If you are at home, first check your circuit breakers and look outside to see if there is any damage on your property. Also check to see if your neighbors power is out or not.

If you are experiencing an electric outage, to report the outage call TDPUD at 530-587-3896.

TDPUD takes reliability and safety very seriously. We work hard to maintain our electric system and respond quickly to outages.

Outage Management System FAQ

What is OMS?

OMS stands for Outage Management System, and it is the new notification system that the TDPUD will be using to communicate with customers during a power outage.

How do I sign up for OMS?

Customers should log on to their TDPUD SmartHub Account and verify their contact information in order to receive OMS text alerts. Once in SmartHub, customers must go to “manage contacts” under the notifications tab, confirm their mobile number, click the box to receive text messages and follow the instructions to receive a 6-digit code and complete the verification. Check out the OMS text verification tutorial for step-by-step instructions with pictures.

How is OMS different than previous TDPUD outage communications?

OMS is able to send automatic notifications when an outage is predicted, so you’ll know in almost real-time when you’re experiencing an outage.
OMS can identify exactly which homes and businesses are being affected, which is how it only sends notifications to the customers who are experiencing the outage.
OMS gathers information from a number of sources, and for the first time integrates all of this analysis in order to predict outages and their impacts, as well as communicate them to customers.
1. At the individual account level, it gathers real-time information from the “smart meter” system we utilize to collect power information and detect interruption at each meter.
2. At the infrastructure level, it gathers real-time information from the data monitoring and control system at the substations and electric feeders. This is the equipment that facilitates the delivery of power from transmission lines to local distribution lines.
3. It uses our improved mapping system to trace the impacts of an outage. It can detect where an outage will originate, and then follow the model to know which homes and businesses will be impacted.
4. It uses our SmartHub customer service system to log information from customer calls to our call center. It also utilizes the customer profile information in SmartHub to communicate with affected customers.
5. The way these systems work together for the first time is what sets OMS so far apart and ahead from the previous outage notification systems TDPUD has used.

How can I receive OMS alerts if I am not the account holder for my residence?

OMS alerts can only be sent to the contact information associated with the utility account. If you are a resident but are not on the TDPUD account, you can visit tdpud.org/outage to find information during a power outage. You should also sign up for TDPUD Nixle emergency alerts by texting TDPUD to 333111. Text and email alerts will still be send via Nixle during an outage if it impacts a significant amount of the community.

How do I get information on outages if I am visitor and renting a home for vacation?

Visitors can visit tdpud.org/outage to find information during a power outage. They can also sign up for TDPUD Nixle emergency alerts by texting TDPUD to 333111, but alerts will only be sent via Nixle for large-scale outages.

What kinds of alerts will OMS send me?

Customers can expect email and text alerts for when an outage occurs, when a restoration time is established if available and when power is restored.

Why did I get an OMS alert when my power isn’t out?

We are rolling out this new OMS in a “beta launch.” As a new system, we know that everything might not be functioning perfectly to start, but through real-world usage and customer feedback we plan to use the next few months to make the necessary changes to optimize the system.

If you receive an outage notification when you’re not experiencing an outage, or don’t receive one when you are, please share your feedback with us by emailing service@tdpud.org.