News

PenLight suffers system-wide outage

Peninsula Light reported a system-wide outage that started around 9 a.m. on Friday, April 25.

The local power co-op said that a “mechanical failure” in a Tacoma Power system caused the outage. PenLight’s electricity comes from Tacoma Power transmission lines, which pass through the area while running from Cushman Dam to Tacoma.

Tacoma Power said on Facebook that a high voltage switch failed at 9:18 a.m. while crews prepared for scheduled maintenance.

“Our crews assessed the situation and immediately began restoration and repairs,” Tacoma Power wrote. “We are currently restoring power now to PLC customers as quickly and safely as possible. We will provide more updates as they become available.”

At least 35,000 PenLight customers are without power. View the utility’s outage map here.

As of 10 a.m., PenLight had no estimated time for restoration of services. Tacoma Power crews are working on the problem, according to PenLight’s social media postings.