Due to high fire-risk conditions in Friday’s forecast, Black Hills Energy has declared an Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) Watch for the Harriman and Curt Gowdy areas, west of Cheyenne. The PSPS Watch will be in effect starting on Thursday, Jan. 15 at 9 a.m. This means that If conditions persist, the company may need to temporarily shut off power to approximately 350 customers in these areas midday Friday to mitigate the risk of electrical infrastructure becoming a source of wildfire ignition. Customers under the PSPS Watch declaration are urged to prepare for the possibility of emergency power outages needed to protect public safety and prevent wildfire.
“The safety of our customers, employees and communities is our highest priority,” said Wes Ashton, vice president of South Dakota and Wyoming Utilities. “Our Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff program, or PSPS, is a critical tool for wildfire prevention and used as a last-resort measure to protect lives and property and will only be activated in areas with elevated wildfire risk.”
“We recognize that shutting off power, even to reduce wildfire risks, has broad impacts,” said Ashton. “We will do our best to provide as much advance notice as possible if an emergency power shutoff is likely to occur, by issuing a PSPS Warning. If conditions suddenly become hazardous, power may need to be shut off with little or no notice.”
Black Hills Energy will notify impacted customers with a variety of methods including text messages and emails and through local media. The company will also provide updates on the Black Hills Energy website to help keep the public informed throughout the PSPS event.
If a power line is proactively de-energized during an Emergency Public Safety Power Shutoff, Black Hills Energy advises that the power will not be turned back on until conditions improve, crews have inspected power lines, and any necessary repairs are made. This process may result in outages lasting a few hours or a few days, depending on the location and extent of any damage.