Submitted by Orcas Power and Light Cooperative.

All of San Juan County will be affected by a planned power outage necessary for Bonneville Power Association to make scheduled repairs to the transmission lines that deliver power to the islands. This maintenance outage will happen during the night to minimize impact to OPALCO consumers.

The outage will begin at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 15 and power is expected to be restored by 5 a.m. on Sept.16. During this time, BPA crews will upgrade transmission equipment and perform maintenance on the system. While the power is off, the OPALCO crew will utilize the opportunity to do maintenance work on our local system.

OPALCO consumers should set a reminder for Thursday night Sept. 15. Turn sensitive equipment off at the power strip or unplug them. In the morning, turn equipment on gradually to aid in power load pick up. OPALCO members are responsible for their own equipment and are encouraged to install surge protection to safeguard electronic, computer and other sensitive equipment and appliances.

Now is a great time to make sure you’re prepared for winter outages. OPALCO’s system is strong and its line crews are skillful and ready. However, outages happen and islanders must be prepared. Take time to get ready for storm season outages now, including your plan to access outage information (SmartHub, phone message, website, social media – outage buddy off island with internet service), and assemble a kit of the things you need to keep you comfortable during power outages and do maintenance on your battery or generator backup for any critical systems. Check our website for outage checklists and other key information for making sure you are ready this winter at www.opalco.com/outage-preparation and safety.

Orcas Power & Light Cooperative (OPALCO) is our member-owned cooperative electric utility, serving more than 11,400 members on 20 islands in San Juan County. OPALCO provides electricity that is 97% greenhouse-gas free and is generated predominantly by hydroelectric plants. OPALCO was founded in 1937. Follow OPALCO @OrcasPower on Facebook and Twitter.