Temporary power shutoff planned in parts of Washington Township for system upgrades

Several hundred residents in Washington Township will have their electric power shut off for part of the day on Wednesday so upgrades can be made to West Penn Power’s facilities, utility officials announced.

The planned power outage will affect 229 customers in the area of Goldfinch and Mallard drives as well as Pine Run Church and Woodland roads, according to the utility.

The power is scheduled to be off from 8 a.m. to noon.

If weather affects the ability for work to be done, the service interruption will be rescheduled at the same time on Jan. 6.

Customers will receive an automated telephone call to the number listed on their account informing them about the shutoff.

West Penn spokesman Todd Meyer said it is important for people to make sure they update the contact information provided to the utility so they get the call.

“Many people have switched to cellphones only but still have their landlines listed with us,” he said. “We urge them to give us their new number so calls about power interruptions don’t end up lost in the ether.”

Information can be updated by calling West Penn’s contact center at 800-686-0021.

Meyer said the temporary power outages are typically done to add switching capability to sections of the power grid that help reduce the number of homes that lose power during an emergency.

“A typical instance where this would be used is when a vehicle crashes into a pole and knocks out power to a large number of people,” he said. “The switches, or fuses, that are installed allow us to move a lot of the customers over to another system and restore their power while repairs are being made.”